


McKirk-Tober

by GoingKnowhere



Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Academy Era, Alternate Universe - Creatures & Monsters, Alternate Universe - Demons, Alternate Universe - Dragons, Alternate Universe - Fae, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Federal Agents, Alternate Universe - Football, Alternate Universe - Ghost Hunters, Alternate Universe - Ghosts, Alternate Universe - Magic, Alternate Universe - Merpeople, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Serial Killers, Alternate Universe - Vampire, Alternate Universe - Werewolf, Alternate Universe - Wings, Alternate Universe - Wizards, Alternate Universe - X-Files Fusion, Ambiguous/Open Ending, American Football, Angel Wings, Angels, Angst and Feels, Apple Orchards, Apples, Autumn, Bogeyman, Cats, Cemetery, College Football, Demons, Doppelganger, Drabble, Dragons, Fae & Fairies, Ficlet, First Meetings, Fluff, Football, Gen, Ghosts, Grim Reapers, Halloween, Halloween Challenge, Halloween Costumes, Haunted Houses, M/M, Meet-Cute, Merpeople, Monsters, Mummies, One Shot Collection, Other, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pumpkins, Selkies, Serial Killers, Starfleet Academy, Vampires, Wingfic, Wings, Wizards, corn maze, mckirk - Freeform, warnings will be at the beginning of each chapter!!!!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-01
Updated: 2017-10-31
Packaged: 2019-01-07 17:26:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 31
Words: 25,776
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12237399
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GoingKnowhere/pseuds/GoingKnowhere
Summary: A 31 Day October Challenge revolving around McKirk fics featuring various myths, legends, fantasy elements, and autumn themes :)+The Days:Day #1 : Devil's Snare || Day #2 : Fey || Day #3 : Werewolves || Day #4 : Apple Orchards || Day #5 : Selkies || Day #6 : Mummy || Day #7 : Bogeyman || Day #8 : Pumpkin Carving || Day #9 : Ghosts || Day #10 : Haunted Forest || Day #11 : Grim Reapers || Day #12 : Corn Maze || Day #13 : Merpeople || Day #14 : Hidebehind || Day #15 : Mediums || Day #16 : Leaf Piles || Day #17 : The X-Files/Government Agents || Day #18 : Graveyard || Day #19 : Dragons || Day #20 : American Football || Day #21 : Yeti || Day #22 : Magical Creatures || Day #23 : Serial Killer || Day #24 : Black Cats || Day #25 : Demons || Day #26 : Axeman || Day #27 : Vampires || Day #28 : Haunted House || Day #29 : Doppelgangers || Day #30 : Angels || Day #31 : Halloween





	1. Day #1 : Devil's Snare

**Author's Note:**

> For all/most of these, I will be doing pre-author’s notes and post-author’s notes. The Pre-A/N will be noting any info about the work I feel is important to know before you read (without spoiling it) and the Post-A/N will explain more now that the fic was read. Warnings for each chapter will also be here!!!!
> 
> For this fic, the most you need to know before reading this is that Jim and Bones have known each other for several years already. They’re also wizards (so a dash of the HP universe). Everything else sort of gets explained along the way. I also just want to apologize a head of time because this is an open ending…
> 
> ♦ Chapter Warning: strangulation, vulgarities,

_**Deadly Fun || McKirk-Tober Day #1** _

 

“Ya know, when you said we’d be backpacking Europe, breaking and entering wasn’t exactly what I had in mind.”

 

Jim rolled his eyes at his best friend’s grumbling as a fond smile played along his lips. When he’d first pitched the idea to his friend, he’d talked it up as a vacation of sorts. A well deserved, long overdue vacation for two overworked wizards.

 

Surprisingly, it didn’t take as long as he expected to convince Bones to go along.  

 

He delayed responding by opting instead to hold his wand up higher in an effort to see more of the dark, decaying corridor. “'Breaking and entering’, Bones, would imply that we had to break something in order to enter.” He stepped over a pile of broken stone and edged closer to inspect a frayed and faded tapestry. He held up a finger to emphasize his next comment. “Which we didn’t do, by the way!”

 

The mixed sound of stone grinding against the floor and Bones’ muttered curse echoed from behind him; it was the only warning he had before he felt the warm presence of Bones’ body at his back.

 

“While that may be true, it also means ‘trespassing’; which is something that we  _are_  doing,” Bones spoke lowly, his breath ghosting over the side of Jim’s neck.

 

Jim swallowed at the sensation and tried to suppress the shudder that ran down his spine.

 

What he didn’t say was that after years of pining, this was going to be his way of finally seducing the older wizard. He had everything planned out - the best pubs with the best booze, scenic walks, the continuous renting of only one room at each place they stay…

 

“No one’s been here in years, Bones. We’re fine,” he managed to reply in a steady voice.

 

Okay, admittedly, the castle excursion wasn’t planned. But, come on! Was he honestly supposed to  _not_  go visit the dilapidated structure after being told about it?

 

And it’s not like Bones was actually going to tell him no…

 

Bones snorted, the soft sound coming out so much louder in the silence of the castle, before backing away and moving down the corridor. “I’ll believe that once we’re out of here.”

 

Jim quirked his brow and watched his friend’s tall frame walk away further into the castle. “Ya know, for someone who really wants to get out of here – the exits are the other way!”

 

The answering  _'Shut up!’_  had him smirking and following suit.

 

They spent the next half hour picking their way carefully through the first level of the ruins before finally stumbling upon a flight of stairs covered in a tangle of vines and bathed in moonlight. Flicking his wrist, Jim extinguished his wand and looked over his shoulder at Bones. He quirked a brow at his friend’s look of puzzlement. “Problem, Bones?”

 

Bones shook his head slightly before extinguishing his own wand and tucking it into his back pocket. “S'nothing. Just the sight of Mother Nature reclaiming things has always given me the creeps.”

 

Jim tipped his head at the comment. “Can’t really disagree with that,” he replied, jogging up a few steps. At the middle he turned around and gave the older man a charming smile. “You coming, old man?”

 

With a roll of his eyes, Bones started up the steps after him. Pleased at the action, Jim turned around an -

 

He rolled his eyes and stared up at the broken ceiling with a sigh, planting his hands on his hips. “ _Ha ha_ , Bones.  _Very_  funny. Now cancel the hex.”

 

“What hex?”

 

He sighed again, about to open his mouth for a sardonic reply when Bones spoke once more. “Oh  _god_ …”

 

Jim’s head snapped down, only to be greeted with the sight of Bones staring in horror at his feet. When he glanced down himself, his eyes widened at the sight of the vines slowly winding themselves around his lower legs.

 

And Bones’ legs.

 

“Shit,  _shit, SHIT_!”

 

Devil’s snare.

 

He’d learned about the nasty plant back in school, but he’d never seen it in person.

 

Until now…

 

In a blind panic, the two began tugging on their legs in an attempt to break out of the plant’s hold. An action that turned out to be fruitless. Instead of loosening it’s hold, the vines only wound themselves tighter. In no time at all, Jim’s lower legs were all but fused to the floor and several tendrils had begun to creep up his thighs. With the next rough tug, Jim toppled backwards, landing hard on the plant-covered steps. His panic only increased, his chest heaving, as the plant wasted no time in creeping up over his body, tying him to the steps.

 

“Jim!”

 

His eyes darted up to see Bones, who’s lower half was now encompassed by the plant, reaching out helplessly.

 

But his eyes…

 

Jim’s heart hammered more at the sight. In all the years that he’d known the older man, he’d never seen them like this.

 

_So fearful._

 

“Bones!” He thrashed against the restraining vines. “Bones!”

 

“Jim!”

 

“ _Bones!”_

 

“Jim, you need to calm down!” Bones was fighting now to grab his wand through the tangle of vines around his hips.

 

_Calm down????? Calm down?_????

 

The plant was now creeping up around his neck and head.

 

“’ _ones_!” Jim’s lungs heaved in quick hitches as his voice rasped out the name.

 

_No. No. No._

 

_So…tight…_

 

“Jim, hang on!”

 

He wheezed as tried his best to stay focused on Bones, blinking hard in an effort to rid himself of the dark spots starting to dance across his field of vision.

 

“’ _nes!”_

 

“ _Jim!”_

 

It was the last thing he heard before everything went white.

 

* * *

 

 

**Post-A/N:**   _Devil’s Snare. Devil’s Snare. It’s deadly fun, but will sulk in the sun!_

Whoops this went to a place! Jim, I love you dearly…but it had to be done for the fic and I am very very sorry about that my dear adorable space dork

Now, you may be wondering why I picked Devil’s Snare as a theme??? The answer is that I hit a wall on ideas for this series. I originally kept thinking of monsters (like werewolves, vampires, mummies…) and then I added in non-monster ideas since I could only think of so many popular Halloween monsters. Weeks were spent swapping themes and this one made the cut since I was able to come up with a plot and still wanted to write said plot when it came around. I did come up with other ideas recently to use instead, but by then this was already written sooooo *shrugs*

I also had no intention of starting off this challenge thing with this fic, but I did a random draw for the order of the fics and this one was picked to go first :p

 


	2. Day #2 : Faeries

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leonard has a favorite place to go and relax…or maybe it’s because of the pretty blond that’s always there

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay there really isn’t any background you need in order to read this. I’m more so going to go over some things in the post note ;)
> 
> As for picking the theme of ‘Faeries’, they were one of the themes I copied down when I was still trying to focus on monsters and magical creatures for this journey. The idea that came to me for it was one that I found interesting enough to explore 
> 
> Warnings: n/a

_**A Bit To Mark Forever || McKirk-Tober Day #2** _

 

It was because it was a calm, solitary place.

 

That was what Leonard always told himself. That was the reason why he always visited the small pond at the park at least once whenever he was off shift.

 

It was quiet and serene and the lone picnic table fifteen feet away from the walking path was perfect for reading or going over paperwork.

 

It had absolutely nothing to do with the pretty blond guy that was always propped against the ancient oak doodling in a sketchbook or eating apples or feeding ducks.

 

Nope.

 

Not at all.

 

And he was  _never_  disappointed whenever he showed up and the guy wasn’t there.

 

Just like he  _never_  swooned whenever he saw the blond feeding the fat white ducks.

 

And his heart absolutely did  _not_  skip a beat whenever he saw those plush lips tip up into a smile that rivaled the sun.

 

Never.

 

So he was completely  _not thrilled one bit_  when the dark shadow fell over his open book and he  _did not gape_  when he glanced up to see the most beautiful person he’d ever laid eyes on bathed in sunlight standing over him.

 

“Hello.”

 

Leonard’s mouth snapped shut at the sound of the man’s voice and he cleared his throat awkwardly. “H-hi.”

 

His breath  _did not_  hitch when the blond bestowed upon him a mega-watt smile. “My name’s Jim. I couldn’t help but notice that you’re around here a lot and I figured it was about time that I introduce myself.”

 

Leonard did his best to ignore the tinge of pink that bloomed across Jim’s cheeks and the tips of his ears. “Oh, uh, McCoy. Leonard McCoy.” He offered out his hand and couldn’t help the involuntary swallow when Jim’s own warm, lightly calloused one gripped it in a firm shake before returning behind his back. “You, uh, you noticed me…here?” He cringed internally at how awkward he sounded, but Jim didn’t seem to care. The kid just beamed again and rocked on his feet.

 

“Of course I did, Bones! Oh!” He finally brought both hands out from behind his back, revealing two blemish-free, crimson apples. He thrust one out towards Leonard as he slid into the seat across from him. “I noticed that you never really brought food and I thought you might want something to snack on.”

 

Well, who was Leonard to turn down a perfectly good apple from a gorgeous guy. He accepted the apple with a shy grin, dubbing the fluttering in his stomach as a hungry stomach and not out-of-control butterflies. As he brought the fruit up against his lips, his brows scrunched up as he realized something.  _“Bones?”_  He questioned.

 

Jim nodded, his blond hair flopping down over his eye with the movement. “Of course! It’s a far better fit than Leonard!” Said sapphire eyes sparkled with mirth.

 

He frowned at the comment. “But, where did you get ‘Bones’ from?”

 

His new acquaintance merely tipped his head to the side in amusement before dipping it forward in a nod towards Leonard’s book.

 

A medical book which laid open to the detailed drawing of the human skeletal system he’d studying right before Jim showed up.

 

“…Oh.”

 

Jim chuckled and the sound had Leonard’s heart skipping another beat. “Yeah, it may not be the most creative name, but,” he paused, taking a bite of the apple, resulting in the fruit’s juices to trickle down his chin. Leonard had to try his damnedest to keep his eyes from following the translucent rivulets. After a few chews, Jim continued. “It fits well I think.” Once he swallowed the bite, he gave Leonard a quizzical look. It was only then that Leonard realized he still had the apple pressed against his lips.

 

Without breaking contact with Jim’s beautiful blues, Leonard bit into the fruit with a loud  _crunch_! He then had to hold back a moan as juices coated his tongue. He’d had plenty of apples before in his life, but this one was  _so sweet_! 

 

Jim seemed to know exactly what he was thinking because his grin broadened, becoming far more impish than the sunshine goodness it was previously. It made Leonard shiver as a flash of heat tugged in his lower abdomen. “Good?” Jim questioned, his voice oozing out like amber honey as he leaned forward, resting his face on his palm.

 

Unconsciously, Leonard found himself doing the same with his free hand as he nodded. The new position had the sunlight catching Jim in a whole new manner, sharpening his bone structure and making his skin and eyes glimmer as if they were made of the most precious jewels.

 

_So beautiful…_

 

“You know, it’s getting kind of late in the day and I know you should probably be on your way - ” Jim sent him a dazzling smile, batting his eyelashes, and Leonard’s heart swelled. “- but I was actually hoping that you’d stay.”

 

The words were out of Leonard’s mouth without a second thought. “Yeah – yeah of course I’ll stay!”

 

He’d stay for as long as Jim wanted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Post A/N: For this fic, the idea I wanted to explore was that one detail that pops up occasionally in stories involving faeries - that if you consume something that a fey gives you you cannot leave their world. 
> 
> With this I had the idea of Fey!Jim becoming so attached to Leonard where he decides to lay a permanent claim to him. In my interpretation here, they never interact, but the magic Jim holds (and Jim himself) is enough to keep Leonard coming to Jim’s territory. When he finally bites the apple (an apple from Jim’s world) the glamour rises and he is not only exposed to Jim’s fey side, but he’s also exposed to a charm that draws him in more. 
> 
> Essentially, Jim just kidnapped him with some fruit and a smile :)


	3. Day #3 : Werewolves

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jim gets a new pet…housemate…errr
> 
> Warnings: swearing, genitalia, talk of sex, I’m just gonna put this as nsfw and change the rating to mature

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is a lot longer than the previous ones…a lot longer. When I started coming up with these themes and writing these fics, this one was the very first one I wrote and it took me several weeks to complete (I’m a slow writer). This was also the one that made me realize I needed to focus and get these fics shortened down or else they would never get done :\
> 
> I’m also giving a shoutout to @thevalesofanduin here because I think we may be twins when it comes down to coming up with werewolf/shifter reveals 
> 
> The werewolf plotline that I went with here is that they are ruled by the moon, but they turn into giant, regular-looking wolves. Their coat color usually comes from what their natural hair color is and their eyes will be colored like their eyes in their human form. Which ever form they are in means that that mind is the most dominant, but the other form can interject thoughts here and there. Also the werewolf gene is hereditary, passed down along the generations.

_**The Nose Knows || McKirk-Tober Day #3** _

 

Chuffing, Leonard wriggled his body again on the forest floor, not caring about the natural detritus that was getting ground into his dark chocolate fur.

 

Over the past seven months, this area of the forest had become his favorite place to inhabit during his change. Before, he’d travel all over the woods; his large paws either barely making a single noise as he raced through the underbrush or they’d create all the noise they could as he splashed around in the various ponds and streams. He’d actually passed through this area dozens of times in the past, but he never stopped for more than a few moments because – well – there wasn’t much here.

 

It was just a small clearing not far from a walking path. Here the trees grew tall and branches long, blocking out both sun and moonlight, allowing only small patches of light to reach the ground. Speaking of which, that wasn’t much better seeing as it was more dirt than grass, with a few plants here and there, and was covered with leaves, sticks and twigs, and small rocks.

 

But –  _God_  – the smell.

 

Leonard flipped around onto his belly, shoving his nose towards the ground, and snuffed loudly. It was the smell that drew him here all those months ago – and kept drawing him here. He had stumbled across the scent by accident, crossing the path nearly a mile away and he was compelled to follow it, sniffing his way to this small clearing. It was faint at first, but with each full moon the scent seemed to grow stronger and stronger.

 

Now it was overwhelming.

 

Smelling it – it was the perfect sunny summer day in Georgia where the flowers were in full bloom and a promise of a tall, ice cold glass of sweet tea hung on the horizon…

 

It was a leather jacket, one broken in after years of wear…

 

It was the sharp tang of metal and static…

 

It was promise, hope, forever, and  _home_.

 

And it was intoxicating.

 

Leonard just wanted to wrap himself up in it like a homemade quilt and live in it forever. Even outside of the transformation it haunted him. Several times he swore he scented it around town, but each time it was a quick whiff that had him marking it down as a figment of his imagination.

 

He gave a soft whine and flopped over onto his side, a couple of leaves crunching under his body. After a few mome -

 

_Snap!_

 

Leonard was on his feet in an instant, staying stock-still.

 

_Crack! Swish!_

 

Those weren’t him.

 

And they sounded closer.

 

His head whipped in the direction of the rustling, his body shifting in realignment.

 

_Snap! Crack!_ “Ow! Fuck!”

 

It was a  _human_.

 

A human that was coming into  _his_  territory.

 

Leonard’s head dropped lower, his ears tipping back while his body stiffened. A low growl emitted from his throat. Right now, he was grateful for the lack of moonlight filtering through the thick canopy; it allowed his dark wolf-form to remain hidden in the shadows. He stood motionless, listening as the human kept drawing nearer. In mere moments, he began to make out a figure in the brush and soon enough they were stepping into the clearing. Leonard’s human mind, though not in command, offered him information for the oblivious human he was observing.

 

He was a man – a tall one – who’s muscle mass was disguised by jeans and a jacket. His t-shirt showing underneath appeared to be tighter across the chest, hinting at built-up muscles. If Leonard attacked, this man may be able to defend himself for several moments. Though if he chose to run, he wouldn’t be able to hide himself well; from his hair to his skin, the man was light in coloring – lighter than even Leonard’s human form. Even not in the moonlight he stuck out in the darkness of the forest. The man shuffled to a tree opposite Leonard and rotated his shoulder, causing a backpack to drop from his shoulder so he could place it on the ground.

 

It was then that two things happened simultaneously.

 

One – the man’s shoulders tightened and he cautiously raised his head and looked around. It was on the second pass that his light eyes settled on Leonard, squinted, and then widened.

 

Two – the breeze picked up. It tousled the man’s hair and, right before Leonard lunged, it wafted across his nose.  _The smell._  It was so  _thick_  and  _powerful_. His whole body relaxed, head raising and ears pricking forward with intrigue. This  _man_  was the smell –  _his_  smell!

 

_That was why the smell was so intoxicating!_

 

This man was  _his!_

 

When Leonard was still a pup, he’d questioned his sire as to how he found his dam and his response was her scent. That her smell was the most incredible thing! It was how all werewolves found their mates, but it was a rare occurrence. And he believed him; the two were smitten with each other, all the way up until his sire had passed away. His fear of leaving his mate behind was great, but his urge to find them was even greater. He’d ventured out a lot during his youth, trying to find them. As the years dragged on and he got into his thirties, despair had started to set in.

 

So the fact that he finally found his own mate after all these years? And that he’d been smelling him for months?

 

Leonard’s tongue lolled out and his tail began to wag as the man finally saw him, but then the scent became tainted with something sour –  _fear_.

 

_No. No. No. What was he afraid of? Was he afraid of_ him _? No! He couldn’t have that. He needed to help him!_

 

Leonard bounded forward, launching himself at his human. The man brought up his hands as if to stop him, but it did little against his massive body. An ’ _Ooof_ ’ escaped his mate as he fell to the ground, Leonard’s body landing on top of him. Then it became a tangle of limbs; his mate, pushing uselessly against his furry body and his own trying to scramble closer to his mate’s head and neck. Once he had weaseled his way right to where he wanted it, he started to lick. His smell was  _so strong_  here and the  _fear_  that was still there made Leonard whine and lick more.

 

After several moments, he felt his mate stop pushing against him and the fear ebbed away, only to be replaced by  _confusion._ _Confusion_ was far better than  _fear_  and he beat his tail with the realization that he was doing something right.

 

“What the fuck?! Hey, hey, hey! Stop!” Leonard continued to lick until he felt hands on either side of his head. He whined again and stared down at the perplexed man beneath him. While his wolf brain was more intrigued by his scent, his human brain seemed pleased by his mate’s aesthetics. “What the hell?!”

 

* * *

 

 

All he’d wanted to do was to get out of his apartment and try to wear himself out so he could sleep. How the hell did he get into  _this_ situation?

 

Jim stared up in confusion as the wolf –  _a fucking wolf?_  - wiggled and tried to lick him again. “Hey, no! No more licking!” He tried to get up, but found he couldn’t due to how heavy it was. “Uh, can I get up?” He expected to have to wrestle the animal off of him, so color him surprised when it moved to sit next to him with only minimal grumbling.

 

Carefully, Jim drew himself up into a sitting position. “Um, thanks?” It snuffed at him before beating it’s tail hard against the ground. Now that he wasn’t getting attacked with affection, Jim was able to get a better look at the creature.

 

When he first saw it, he thought it was a dog. Just a big-ass, dark brown dog. The longer he looked at it, though, it became rather obvious that it was a wolf – a very male one that was nearly two times the size of regular wolf. With fur far softer than what he expected, ginormous paws, and a long pink tongue that hung out the side of it’s mouth as it panted, watching him.

 

Jim tilted his head as he looked into the wolf’s eyes, his brow furrowing. He’d never seen hazel eyes in a canine before. Hell, he’d go as far as to say that they looked human.

 

And it’s behavior didn’t make it any less weird. The thing should have booked it away from him or acted wary at the least. Instead it charged him and licked him like Scotty’s beagle whenever it saw him.

 

_Unless…_

 

“Hey, buddy,” Jim said, reaching out his hand. It wasted no time in shoving it’s muzzle into his palm. “Are you lost?” The wolf was way too domesticated to be wild; it had to have escaped from someone. He took the opportunity to check for a collar and frowned when he found none. “No collar,” he murmured, “Where did you come from?”

 

The wolf ignored him, opting instead to lay down and drop it’s head onto his lap. He chuckled at it’s actions. “Ah, hey – HEY NO!” He hastily pulled snout away from where it had started nudging at his crotch.

 

If this thing snapped, he’d rather it not snap at that.

 

The wolf whined again at him and peered up with big eyes.

 

Jim scowled back. “Oh, don’t give me that look. That is not something that you should be sniffing anyways.” He was silent for a few moments, taking in his situation, before he said, “I’m not going to be getting rid of you anytime soon, am I?”

 

The wolf grumbled as a response and slapped it’s fluffy tail against the ground before crawling more onto his legs..

 

“Of course not,” he sighed.

 

* * *

 

 

As much as Jim needed to focus on the road before him, the fucking _huge-ass_  wolf staring at him from where it was wedged into the passenger seat of his car was just a bit  _too_  distracting.

 

_What the hell was he going to do?_

 

He’d sat there on the forest floor for roughly an hour, stuck under the heavy weight of the creature, talking about whatever came to mind. For him, it kept his panic at bay. For his new friend…well, he had gazed up a Jim like he had hung the fucking moon. Hell, he could have rambled off a bunch of random words and the wolf would still give him that look. But soon he ran into a whole new problem – How do you tell a ginormous wolf that’s comfy and all up in your business that you have to leave and go home?

 

The answer?

 

You spend fifteen minutes trying to get it off of you. Then another eight trying to convince it that it can’t go with you. Then you spend twenty minutes hiking back to your car with the wolf plodding along with you. And finally, you spend five minutes trying to make sure it doesn’t get into your car, three minutes fretting over the paint job when it paws at the door and whines outside, and finally two more minutes watching as it squeezes itself into the passenger seat.

 

Besides, something in him just couldn’t leave it behind.

 

The high keen was the only warning Jim got before he was cringing away from the cold wet nose that tried to shove it’s way into his neck.

 

“ACK! Stop it!” He yelped, the car swerving slightly when he accidentally jerked the steering wheel.

 

More whining.

 

“Don’t whine at me! I am driving and therefore will crash us if you keep doing that!” Jim spared a quick glance at it when it huffed and he mentally berated himself at seeing the sad look in it’s hazel eyes.

 

He wasn’t even aware that wolves could have hazel eyes like that, but then again he also wasn’t aware that wolves could latch onto people and invite themselves home with them.

 

“Okay, fine! I’m sorry I shouted at you, but if you’re coming home with me you have to behave,” he scolded. “Especially since I’m not allowed to have pets in my apartment. I can’t even have a fish yet here I am toting a giant-ass wolf home with me,” he muttered to himself.

 

The twenty minute car ride continued on in a repeated cycle of near hysterical muttering, surprising nudges of a wet nose, scolding, and apologizing all the way up to the moment he rolled into the small parking lot outside his apartment building.

 

“Okay,” he said, throwing the car in park and cutting the engine. “Now you’re going to have to be very quite, okay? Because I live on the fifth floor with another person and since we aren’t allowed to have animals anywhere near the building I will be fucked if someone sees you and calls Marcus.” The dude was a hard-ass building manager and wouldn’t hesitate to call animal control if even the  _smallest_ _mention_   _of a cat_ was sighted nearby, let alone what he would do if there was a wolf inside the building.

 

_Oh, FUCK!_

 

_What would happen if animal control was called?_

 

Jim gripped the steering wheel and allowed the wet nose to nudge him as the thought washed over him. Sure, he just found the wolf, but – he turned his head and got a face-full of wolf tongue – the thought of the animal getting taken away just didn’t sit right with him.

 

They needed to move fast and they needed to do it as silently as possible.

 

He took in a deep breath, nodding to himself. “Okay, let’s do this.”

 

Thankfully, Jim discovered, his new friend seemed to register the need for stealth and he was ushering the creature past his apartment door with his neighbors being none-the-wiser.

 

“Oh thank God,” he murmured, dropping back against the wood after clicking the lock. Reaching over, Jim flicked on the light.

 

The thick carpet of his flat absorbed most of the wolf’s sound, but the soft padding of it’s large feet still reached Jim’s ears as the wolf explored. He didn’t think he’d ever seen a creature so happy.

 

Tongue hanging out and ears pricked forward, the wolf’s head swiveled around as it took in it’s new surroundings, trotting this way and that. Every few moments it would drop it’s head to the carpet and rub it’s face against the floor before rolling around.

 

As much as the issue of shedding irked at Jim, he had to admit that it was a pretty adorable to watch.

 

The sudden rattling of Mr. Bones, however, had him momentarily thinking the opposite.

 

“Hey, hey, hey!” He darted over to where the wolf was nosing at the stark white skeleton. “That is not a chew toy!”

 

The wolf huffed and sat down to watch as Jim steadied the swaying decoration, it’s head cocked to the side with curiosity.

 

“Yeah, okay, so maybe it’s not exactly the most normal of home decorations, but Mr. Bones was a gift and don’t want to see him broken,” he rambled, stepping back to stare at the skeleton. Just a little shorter than him, the plastic human skeleton hung from it’s stand next to his couch. It was apart of a joke that he and the IT guys had about working until they were bone tired.

 

The wolf snorted in response before nudging the thigh bone with it’s nose.

 

“You like it, huh?” Jim chuckled and scratched behind it’s soft ears, the wolf rumbling in response. “Maybe I should just call you ‘Bones’. Actually…”

 

He did need to call the wolf  _something…_

 

“C'mon Bones! I need to change and then try and get some sleep.” He stepped away to go get ready for bed, Bones following right on his heel. “Tomorrow I’ll have to pick up some necessities if you’re going to stay here.”

 

Ten minutes later – after fighting a losing battle of getting Bones to not sleep on his bed – Jim was curled up under his covers, a large furry body snuggled up right against his back.

 

“'Night, Bones.”

 

At the answering huff, he smiled softly, sleep finally overtaking him.

 

* * *

 

 

Waking up was always a slow process for Jim.

 

It consisted of small shifts and stretches, grunts and groans, snorts and huffs before his eyes would finally flicker open for the first time.

 

If he managed to find someone to warm his bed for the night, then he would snuggle close their body in an attempt to steal as much warmth as he could.

 

This morning was no different.

 

He breathed out a sigh, shifting back into the warm body that wrapped around him from behind. The toned arm that was draped over his waist tightened and he let out a soft groan as a pair of hips ground a hard cock deliciously against his ass. Jim moaned at the sensation as his own cock began to respond in kind. A hand clutched his own as lips grazed lightly along the back of his neck.

 

He froze.

 

_Lips?_

 

_Hand??_

 

Jim’s eyes snapped open and he flipped over, jaw dropping at the sight.

 

He recalled bringing a wolf home with him…but at what point did he bring a  _smokin’ hot guy_  home with him?

 

Laying on top of the covers, the man was bared for the world to see. Literally. Jim didn’t know where to look and where not to look all at the same time.

 

Should he or should he not stare at the sculpted muscles that rippled under tanned skin as the guy shifted in his sleep?

 

Should he or should he not take notice of the large erection that brushed against the man’s abs and mere inches from his own hip?

 

Should he or shouldn’t he notice the ruffled brunet hair that flopped into handsome face that was momentarily shoved further into his pillow?

 

“ _What the fuck…_ ,” he breathed. He certainly didn’t sleep with him because he himself was fully clothed…

 

_So w_ _ho the fuck was this guy???_

 

The arm that was around his waist – the one that was now draped over his lap and now flaccid penis – tightened again and he watched as the guy’s face scrunched in confusion before his eyes fluttered open. If Jim didn’t know any better, he could have sworn that he was watching the guy wake up in slow motion. The entire journey of emotions were openly displayed for Jim to witness – lethargy to puzzlement to a split second of fear and finally pure panic when he made eye contact with Jim after he realized his state of undress and their position.

 

It was then that Jim finally asked the question that had been eating at him for several minutes. “Who the  _fuck are you_?”

 

“Uh,” the man propped himself up onto his elbow and cleared his throat awkwardly. “McCoy. Leonard McCoy.”

 

_Dear God…_

 

Jim swallowed, mouth suddenly dry at hearing the low drawl. “Okay,  _Leonard_.  _How_  did you get into my home and  _w_ _hy_  are you in my bed…naked?”

 

Leonard bit his lip and glance down at the bed awkwardly. “Uh, it’s complicated…”

 

“Dude, you’re  _buck-ass nude in my bed_  and I have  _no memory_  of how you got here –  _I don’t care how complicated it is_.”

 

A deep sigh left Leonard and, after a moment of hesitation, he met Jim’s eyes once more. “You, uh, you  invited me in.”

 

Jim’s head did a little shake. “No I didn’t.” There was no way he was letting anyone in while he was trying to hide a wolf.

 

_Speaking of which…_

 

He picked up his head and glanced around.  _Oh, no._ _Where_ _did it go_ _?_

 

“You looking for the wolf, aren’t you?” Leonard’s voice recaptured his attention, but the question had Jim stiffening.

 

“How do you…” He trailed off as his unannounced bed-partner just gave him a look that could only be translated as 'You’re an idiot’. “Wait…” Jim searched Leonard’s eyes.

 

Leonard’s  _hazel_  eyes.

 

Hazel eyes that were the spitting image of…

 

“Holy shit…” Jim’s jaw dropped. “ _You’re_  the wolf?!?”

 

Leonard shrugged in a sheepish manner. “Werewolf, technically.”

 

“Werewolf,” Jim echoed in disbelief before shaking his head. “No,  _no -_   _werewolves_  aren’t real. They’re a story.”

 

Apparently his apprehension was short lived because Leonard replied, in a smooth manner paired perfectly with a quirked brow, “Kid, do I look like a story to you?”

 

Jim stared back at him, not backing down. There was  _no way_  that werewolves were real. There wasn’t. There would be proof of them otherwise. Like…okay he didn’t quite know what type of proof it would be, but still. Somehow he – the world – would know about them.

 

_But…_

 

He glanced away, processing everything that had just happened.

 

He did bring home a wolf –  _Bones_  - last night. A dark brown wolf with hazel eyes that was definitely  _not_  normal and was now strangely absent considering how it didn’t want to leave him alone.

 

And now he had a brunet male with hazel eyes laying in his bed where Bones previously was.

 

He blinked, simultaneously noticing that not only had he been unconsciously staring at Leonard’s bare chest, but that the brunet’s thumb had been rubbing soft circles into Jim’s hipbone. When his eyes flickered lower, Jim felt his cheeks heat up and he hastily averted his eyes. “Um, you’re still…”

 

Leonard glanced down at his erection for a moment before looking away with a twitch of his lips. Like, having the hard-on of all hard-ons before a stranger you just met and woke up next to was an everyday occurrence for him. “That’s not surprising.”

 

“I’m sorry – not  _surprising_?”

 

He shrugged, an indecipherable look in his eyes. “Being this close to my…mate – it’s bound to happen.”

 

All of the gears in Jim’s mind ground to screeching halt. “Mate?” He choked out. “What do you – Wait – Are you – I’m your…” He only got a nod in return. “O-oh, um, would you like to -” Jim cut himself off, motioning towards his bathroom.

 

_How exactly do you react in this situation?_

 

Leonard’s lips turned down slightly at the corners. “Unfortunately, this time around, I can’t exactly fix this problem on my own.”

 

At the implication, Jim felt all the blood leave his cheeks and rush south. There was no hiding the effect those words had on him, not when Leonard’s arm rested right over his groin. Jim saw the exact moment his arousal registered with the werewolf; he felt the hand on his hip tighten, saw the broad chest expand as a deep, nostril-flaring breath was drawn in, and – in his peripheral – he noticed the erection in question twitch in interest.

 

He swallowed roughly as his heart hammered in his chest. “As…tempting as that is, I’d prefer to know more about -” he gestured towards Leonard “- before, um, that happens.”

 

_Why the hell was he suddenly acting like a pubescent teen getting their first sex talk?_

 

Leonard nodded, pushing himself up into a sitting position, thus getting his face inches from Jim’s own. “Then how about I tell you over breakfast. I’ve been known to make a killer omelet.”

 

Jim could only nod at that, but when Leonard clambered out of Jim’s bed and asked for pants, he finally found his voice. “Uh, do you need to take care of that first?” He waved his hand at Leonard’s crotch.  

 

“…I think it can wait until after breakfast.”

 

The lustful eyes Jim received had him shifting due to how restrictive his lounge pants had become. “Then maybe we should hurry up with breakfast.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright so it’s not the greatest title, but it was the only thing I could think of :p. Is there anything I need to talk about with this one??? I think everything got explained okay???


	4. Day #4 : Apple Orchards

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How much does the employee discount cost?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After yesterday’s fic, let’s have a somewhat less spicy meeting shall we? And a shorter fic… 
> 
> This is the first of the non-fantasy fics that are spread throughout this month. If I counted right, every fourth fic should be a non-fantasy fic. 
> 
> Basically Jim works at an apple orchard and I’m claiming that Joanna’s birthday is in the fall (at least for this fic).
> 
> Warnings: N/A

_**Employee Discount || McKirk-Tober Day #4** _

 

It was in this moment, gripping his heavy baskets in the checkout line, surrounded by the hundreds of expensive, unnecessary décor and apple based products, that Leonard decided he hated apples.

 

Never again did he want to buy, eat, or even look at the offending fruit.

 

And, while he loved his daughter more than anything, the next time she suggested that her birthday should be spent at an apple orchard he was going to do whatever it took to ensure that that didn’t happen…again.

 

Because apple orchards were the unknown tenth circle of hell he just knew it.  

 

Jo and her friends most certainly did not need the things they found and dumped in the four baskets he now held in a death-grip while the young girls huddled just outside, giggling over their hot apple cider and warm apple cider donuts.

 

“Next!”

 

Readjusting his grip, he lugged the baskets over and plopped them down on the counter. One by one, slowly but surely, he watched blankly as each item was removed and scanned by broad, sun-kissed hands. They were actually really nice hands. The nails were short and clean; the palms looked lightly calloused; the backs looked silky smooth…soft….

 

“- One-hundred ten dollars and fifty cents.”

 

“What!?” Leonard’s head snapped up and suddenly he was drowning in the waters of a tropical sea; the eyes, peering right back into his own, complemented the handsome face and golden hair of the cashier.  

 

Blondie grinned at him. “Your total; it’s one-hundred ten dollars and fifty cents.” When Leonard only blinked at him in disbelief, the man added, “Ya know, you could always use the employee’s discount.”

 

“Why would I use that? I don’t work here,”Leonard said, shaking his head in confusion.

 

The cashier leaned against the counter, smirking in a way that Leonard could only describe as salacious. “But I do. I’m Jim, by the way. Jim Kirk.”

 

Hazel eyes narrowed at the baby blues surro _unded by flippin’ crinkles_! Oh, he knew exactly what  _Jim_  was trying to do. “What’ll it cost?”

 

Jim leaned forward a little more, his grin widening as the tip of his pink tongue slipped out enough to touch his front teeth. “A date. Preferably more than one.” His eyes flickered over Leonard’s body and he could feel his face and neck heating from the scrutiny.

 

Tipping his chin up, Leonard leaned against the counter, giving Jim a considering look. After several seconds of silence, he said, “…Dinner. Saturday. Seven o'clock. Your pick.”

 

Jim’s answer was immediate. “My place. I make a mean spaghetti.”

 

Leonard smirked. “Ring up the discount; we have a date this week.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another one that really doesn’t need much explaining after :p
> 
> But, shit, apple orchard stuff is expensive! Though, believe me, I’ll shell out the money for some apple cider donuts. Some people are all for pumpkin this time of year, but I’d rather go for the apple products ;)


	5. Day #5 : Selkie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jim participates in a McCoy family tradition

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pre-A/N: Okay, so there’s a lot more background to this, but that’s going to come after the fic. Beforehand, I think all you need to know is that Jim is a selkie…and I’ll explain everything after…because you might need clarifying on details???? …besides the fact that it technically doesn’t take place in the autumn season….
> 
> Warnings: brief allusion to past abuse

_**The Cleaning Fire || McKirk-Tober Day #5** _

 

The flames burned high and hot before Leonard as he stood near the bonfire, mesmerized by the sight.

 

Every year, for as long as he could remember, the McCoy family always held what they called the ‘Cleaning Fire’. Despite Georgia not having the winters the northerners had, when April began his family (and some friends) would start their Spring cleaning, gathering up the old and hauling what couldn’t be donated out to the family farm. The offending items would then get tossed in a pile, along with some wood here and there and, when the calendar flipped from April to May, the heaping pile would get doused in gasoline and torched.

 

It was one of the most therapeutic things in Leonard’s life…next to sex with his husband of five months of course.

 

Actually,  _that_  was the most therapeutic thing in his life. The fire was the second.

 

“Hey, Bones! I got another box!” At Jim’s voice, Leonard twisted around to see him tromp across the ground, a dusty cardboard box in his arms.

 

How he landed Jim, God only new and Leonard wasn’t complaining. Looks, brains, heart – Jim was the whole package one looks for in a suitable mate. It was through the misfortune of literally running into Jim and spilling his coffee all over the blond’s sweater, shortly after he moved to Riverside, that had them starting a tentative friendship.  

 

That incident was now two years into their past, but it was the start of something that blossomed into the very thing that Leonard now holds most dear.

 

“What are you doing?” The question slipped out when Jim, instead of pitching the box into the flames, handed the container to Leonard instead.

 

Jim gave a one-shoulder shrug. “I just thought you’d want to be the one to burn this.”

 

He sent Jim a confused look before dropping the box and keeling down to remove the lid. Reaching in, Leonard began to withdraw various pieces of fabric. Two plaid shirts, a beige sweater, some t-shirts, a -

 

“Is this a pelt?” Carefully, Leonard pulled the item from the box and draped it over his thigh while Jim gave a wordless hum. He lightly traced his fingers over it. Sable in color with short hairs, the pelt had to be one of the softest things he’d ever had the courtesy to touch. He didn’t think clouds would be as soft as this. Hell, the only thing he could really compare it to would be Jim’s hair. “It’s beautiful.”

 

“Yeah, yeah, come on!” Jim brushed off his husband’s wonder and began to toss the shirts back into the box. “Put the pelt back and let’s toss this bastard!”

 

“What?” He shot up, standing toe-to-toe with Jim, who stepped back moments later. “No! You can’t burn this!”

 

It was Jim’s turn to look confused and slightly worried. “Why not?” He demanded.

 

“Because -” Leonard blinked, his anger dissipating as quickly as it appeared. He peered down at the pelt he now cradled in his hands. He’d never seen it before in his life. He didn’t even know where it came from.

 

_So why did he want to save it?_

 

“I don’t know. It just doesn’t seem like the type of thing that deserves to be burned.” He glance back up to meet Jim’s eyes. “Why do you want to burn it?”

 

A million emotions flickered across Jim’s face before his face screwed up and he said, “It was Khan’s.”

 

Leonard’s body went rigid.

 

Khan Noonien Singh was a sore topic between the happy couple. Before Leonard, there was Khan. A charming man with a smooth, silver tongue and quick fists. He’d been Jim’s fiance for several months before Jim packed up his belongings one day and left him behind in San Francisco.

 

“I didn’t realize I grabbed it at first. I was just in such a hurry to get out that I just threw a whole bunch of things together and booked it.” He tilted his head, staring at the pelt with a guarded expression. “I forgot I had it until today.”

 

Leonard worked his jaw as his thumbs rubbed circles into the short fur. Something about burning the pelt rubbed him the wrong way.

 

But…

 

He sighed, dropping the item back into the box.

 

If he got rid of all of Joce’s shit, it was only fair that Jim did the same.

 

He glanced over at his husband. “You sure you don’t want to do it?” When Jim shook his head, Leonard nodded before picking up the box, stepping forward, and hurling it into the flames. Brushing his hands off, he reached out to drag Jim over and pulled him back to lean against his chest.

 

* * *

 

 

With a sigh of relief, Jim sagged back into the hard, warm body behind him. “Thank you, Bones. I love you.”

 

Finally, he was free.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Post-A/N: Yes, you are, Jim. Yes, you are. 
> 
> So the idea that I wanted to use for this fic was that Jim had his pelt stolen by Khan and was manipulated into a relationship until he could escape (details of their relationship may or may not be true). And then he meets Leonard ♥♥♥♥♥
> 
> Normally in selkie tales, once a selkie has their hands on their pelt they can change back, but they never say if it needs direct contact???? So for this I used that Jim could handle his pelt as long as he didn’t have direct contact with it and, from what I gathered, selkies could not be the ones to burn their pelts (…but that maybe was due to touching them….) so with finding Leonard it needed to be burned by Leonard if he wanted to stay with him without issue. 
> 
> I just like the idea that Jim would be one to want to stay human…especially for Leonard* :)
> 
> *and for all the food ;)


	6. Day #6 : Mummy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The discovery of a lifetime is made.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pre-A/N: Mummies!! Another classic Hollywood monster! To be honest I almost forgot this theme. All of a sudden I woke up one morning a few weeks ago and it just hit me like a ton of bricks. The idea came quick enough though ;)
> 
> So get ready to join archaeologist!Jim and Leonard, his doctor boyfriend as they search for the tomb of the long lost King of Vulcan. 
> 
> Another shoutout to thevalesofanduin for being a dear in assisting me in figuring out where on earth the Vulcans would have lived. A lot of ideas were tossed about, but it was decided an unknown desert location was the best route to go.

_**The King’s Tomb || McKirk-Tober Day #6** _

 

“Maybe you should take a drink, Bones,” the blond commented, interrupting the brunet’s ranting. “Cool down a little.” He paused to check his GPS before moving on. Not that he needed it now; he was pretty certain the oasis and rock formation ahead was their destination if their research was anything to go by.

 

“Cool  _down_?  _Cool down_? Jim, we’re in the fucking desert, Jim. Every time I drink something it immediately comes out my pores. I can’t cool down!”

 

Jim spun around with a smirk, quirking a brow over his dark sunglasses at the sight of the irritated doctor. “I thought you were from the South, Bones. You should be immune to all this.” The older man’s tanned skin glistened from his perspiration in the sweltering sun and his white linen shirt clung to his toned torso. All together it was a rather pleasing sight in Jim’s opinion.

 

Bones glared back. “Georgia wasn’t the desert, Jim, and we at least had water to swim in to cool off!”

 

Jim’s grin broadened and he turned back around, gesturing out with his arms. “Why else do you think we’re going to the oasis, Bones? Cool water and -” he sent a wink over his shoulder “- a lot more privacy than those paper thin tents.”

 

“Don’t tempt me, kid,” his lover growled. He couldn’t deny that teasing Bones was a cruel thing to do while on the dig. They hadn’t had a chance to be together since they arrived to the sight nearly two weeks ago and Jim would be lying if he said he wasn’t a little on the antsy side. “Besides,” Bones continued. “I know you have a potential sight you wanted to check out; I heard you talking to Nyota about it.”

 

Well, he wasn’t wrong, but that didn’t mean Jim didn’t have plans for a little play.

 

Reaching the edges of the oasis, he began to pick his way over the green fauna. Feigning offense, he said, “How do you know I’m leading you to check out a site? Maybe I just want somewhere private to ravish you.”

 

“Then we’d be going for a break in actual civilization in a hotel room with an  _actual_  bed and  _actual_  running water.”

 

Jim pushed passed a few ferns, the small pond now in sight. “Aw, Bones, that’s hardly romantic.”

 

A loud  _smack!_  sounded from behind him as Bones slapped a bug on his arm. “And this is?”

 

“Yeah! I mean, look around! It’s beautiful,” he exclaimed, stopping a few feet from the water. Bones stepped up behind him and Jim felt his lover’s chin dip down to rest on his shoulder as his arms wrapped around his waist. He gladly leaned back into the embrace, allowing the silence to embrace them.

 

And it was…when there was something other than miles upon miles of sand to stare at. While it was incredible to see at first, it got old fast. However, the dawn and twilight were simply breathtaking and the little oasis was certainly a sight for sore eyes.

 

“So,” Bones grumbled into his ear and Jim mentally wondered if they should put off work for just a little bit longer. “What’s so special about this place?”

 

“The water.”

 

“The water?”

 

Jim hummed in confirmation. “Like you said Bones, it’s the desert. According to what Nyota transcribed, the Vulcans prized water. The civilization got their water from several different locations in their kingdom.” He stepped away from Bones, his eyes squinting behind his shades at the area around them. “If what we found is  _truly_ ShiKahr – and assuming that this oasis has been around since then – then this is where those in the capital – where the  _royal family_  – got their water!”

 

“And they might have left relics behind them here.”

 

“More than that, Bones.” His blood started to thrum with excitement. “I think we could find the king here.”

 

“Wait, what?”

 

Jim whirled around to face his confused love with a maniacal grin. “This is what Ny and I were discussing! With all of the radar imaging we got of the lost city, we found nothing that hints to a burial chamber. I mean, this is the king! He’s got to be buried someplace special, right?”

 

He knew the exact moment the thought clicked inside Bones’ mind.

 

“My God…”

 

“I know!”

 

“Then what are we standing around here for? Let’s get looking!”

 

And that was why he loved Leonard McCoy. As much as he complained, he was always game for whatever plan Jim had.

 

The moment the words left Bones’ mouth, Jim clutched his damp shirt to pull him into a hard kiss before gleefully darting off around the water.

 

Together, they figured that the best place to start was the rock face. Jim took one side, Bones took the other, and they each ventured off to scour the red rock.

 

Jim figured they had been searching for roughly forty minutes before he heard Bones calling for him and he took off like a shot in his boyfriend’s direction. It took several moments, but eventually he found him gloating over his discovery.

 

“What is it?! What did you find?!” He panted out the words, but Bones’ only response was to nod towards the wall. When Jim finally looked, his eyes bugged out and he scrambled to pull his small notebook from his pocket, rifling through the pages until he found the page of Nyota’s translations. He held up the lined page, eyes flickering back and forth, as wonder filled him.

 

Every single line matched.

 

_It matched!_

 

“Bones,” he whispered. “He’s here.”

 

After that, it was as if the long lost Vulcan king wanted to be found. Tracking down the hidden opening in the rock was almost a breeze and in no time at all the two were pulling out the mini flashlights and venturing inside.

 

Deeper and deeper they descended into the cave, each step causing Jim’s heart to beat faster and faster. They walked for maybe fifteen minutes before the tunnel opened up into massive chamber (the katric arc, according to Nyota) and - 

 

Jim stopped dead in his tracks.

 

“Bones…”

 

“I’m seeing it…”

 

There, in the center of the room, illuminated by the combines light of their flashlights, sat a raised sarcophagus.

 

The sarcophagus of S'chn T'gai Spock, the last king of the Vulcans.

 

With a squeal, Jim staggered forward in an attempt to reach the elaborate casket, only to stumble and fall roughly to his knees as a stone shifted under his foot.

 

“Shit! Ow!”

 

“Jim! Are you -”

 

_**BOOM!** _

 

The two jolted as a large stone slab slammed down over the entrance way.

 

“Jim…you didn’t say the tomb would be booby-trapped…”

 

“Uhhh…” Jim scrabbled up, dusting himself off. “I didn’t think it would be, then again I guess I should have figured…”

 

“Yeah,” Bones drawled. “You should have. Now we’re stuck here!”

 

_Oh, no…he’s starting to panic._

 

Reaching out, Jim pulled the older man into his arms. “Hey, the others know where we went and if we aren’t back in a few hours they’ll come looking for us.” When he felt Bones nod, he continued. “In the mean time we can -”

 

He broke off as a heavy grinding sound filled the cavern, causing them to spring apart and pan the rooms with their flashlights.

 

It was then they noticed how much more open the sarcophagus was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Post A/N: Ooooooooh shit!


	7. Day #7 : Bogeyman

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Every old story is built on a truth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You really think I’m going to let this month go by without a fic involving a legend that can be found in nearly every culture worldwide???? Uh-uh. 
> 
> Like, guys, I bit the bullet and looked up stuff about the bogeyman and the wiki page for it just has a lot of creepy details of what different cultures have for the bogeyman and…no. I was trying to see if there was anything I could use for either Iowa or Georgia and unfortunately I found something for the Midwest that I could use…guys I live in the Midwest and I was not happy to read that because it’s creepy and it made me think back to something that happened a few years ago and then I remembered a thing from a few years before that and…just…fuck no :\
> 
> But I used it…
> 
> Anyways, in this fic our two precious nerds return to Jim’s childhood home for a break away from everything. Sexy times happen and then our story begins :)
> 
> Warnings: it’s implied that they just had sex

**_What Hides In The Night_  || McKirk-Tober Day #7**

 

Tossing the damp, soiled washcloth in the direction of the plastic hamper, Jim flipped himself around so he could nestle in closer to Bones’ warm, naked body. Nuzzling his nose into the crook of the older man’s neck, he let out a sigh when strong arms wrapped around him to keep him in place. “'Night, Bones,” he hummed, placing a feather-light kiss on his boyfriend’s collarbone. He felt a kiss get brushed against his hairline in return before the pillow dipped and the sound of soft snores filled the room.

 

An affectionate smile played along his lips. While it always took a little bit before Jim fell asleep, Bones was always out like a light after a satisfying round of sex. For Jim it was perfect since he discovered that the even rise and fall of his boyfriend’s chest paired with his soft snores were a comfort that helped him find sleep faster.

 

Even now, barely ten minutes past their coupling, his eyelids had begun to feel heavier and his minds was starting to -

 

_**SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEECH!** _

 

In a matter of seconds, Jim had launched himself into a sitting position and was staring wide eyed at the curtain-covered window.

 

 

> “ _Hey, Sammy?”_
> 
>  
> 
> “ _What, Jimmy?”_
> 
>  
> 
> _Jimmy shifted on the tiny bed where he was curled up with his back to his big brother, blinking his eyes to adjust them to the dark of the room. It wasn’t often that Sam would let him stay with him at night, but Frank had been out drinking earlier and neither wanted to be alone. “Why do you always close the curtains at night?”_
> 
>  
> 
> _It was a habit that Jimmy had observed months earlier. Once twilight hit, the sky fading into bright oranges, pinks, and purples, Sam would slip into both of their bedrooms and pull the curtains over the windows._
> 
>  
> 
> “ _It’s so the bogeyman can’t see in, duh.”_
> 
>  
> 
> “ _The what?” Jimmy flipped over so he could faintly see his brother’s profile._
> 
>  
> 
> “ _The bogeyman, Jimmy! He’s a monster that comes out at night and scratches on windows, peeking into see if anyone is there. If there is, he breaks in and eats them!”_
> 
>  
> 
> “ _Eats us?! But…we’re on the second story. He can’t get us up here.”_

 

Jim’s breath hitched and his heart beating wildly as he reached out and shook his boyfriend awake. “Bones,” he hissed. “Bones!”

 

 

> “ _The bogeyman doesn’t need anything of that stuff, Jimmy. -”_

 

“Wha – Jim? Jim!” Bones grunted and shifted up into a sitting position, his hands moving over Jim’s body in search of any injury. “Jesus, Jim! You’re shaking!”

 

 

> “ _\- Nothing stops the bogeyman.”_

 

“Bones!” Jim grabbed his hands to stop them, but he didn’t turn away from the window. “Bones, there’s something outside!”

 

“What do ya mean?” Bones questioned, his hot breath ghosting over Jim’s bare shoulder. It did little to quell his rising fear.

 

“I mean I heard something scratch against the window! Just a few moments ago!” To Jim’s surprise, instead of dismissing his claim, Bones crawled over his body and shuffled towards the window. Pulling  aside the curtain, the illumination from the yard light outside streamed in now that it wasn’t being blocked by the thick fabric. He watched with baited breath as his boyfriend squinted through the glass.

 

“There’s nothing out there, Jim.”

 

_What?_

 

“No.” Jim shook his head. “No, Bones, I  _heard_  something!”

 

The doctor heaved out a sigh before gesturing for Jim to come closer. Hesitantly, Jim obeyed the request. “Darlin’, there ain’t nothing out there.” He grasped Jim’s shoulders and guided him in front of his naked body. “Look.”

 

And he did, with caution, lean forward to press his nose against the chilled glass to peer out into the night. Slowly, with each sweep of the unchanged shaggy lawn and green fields, his tension eased up.

 

“See,” Bones murmured close to his ear, his broad hands running up and down the length of Jim’s arms. “What I’d tell ya?”

 

Jim let out a breath and leaned back into Bone’s warm chest. “Okay, but I still heard something.”

 

Bones gave a hum before guiding him back to the old bed. “And I don’t doubt that, but it was probably a bat that hit the window and flew off.”

 

Jim nodded his head at his boyfriend’s words and allowed himself to be situated back into their usual embrace. With the recent rush of adrenaline wearing off far faster after a long day of travel and activity,  the two men slipped into their dreamworlds within minutes of closing their eyes.

 

Neither noticed the dark figure obscure the majority of the uncovered window.

 

Nor did they hear it’s long talon drag itself lightly down the glass.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Post-A/N: Yup…according to the page, the Midwest tale is that the bogeyman will scratch at the window….god that so creepy


	8. Day #8 : Pumpkin Carving

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leonard discovers a new fact about his roommate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pre-A/N: Let’s be honest, between Leonard’s steady hands and Jim’s competitive streak and determination, these two would create some pretty awesome jack-o-lanterns! 
> 
> As the summary suggests, I’m picturing them in their first year at Starfleet and that they are roommates :)

_**Study Break || McKirk-Tober Day #8** _

 

Of all the things that Leonard expected to see Jim doing when he walked into their shared quarters after his shift, Jim being elbows deep in the largest pumpkin he’d ever seen was definitely not on the list.

 

“Jim?” He questioned, dropping his bag on the ground with a  _thump_! The combined sounds managed to deviate the young blond’s attention away from his project and he sent Leonard a sunny grin.

 

“Hey, Bones!” He greeted, pulling his hands from the pumpkin so he could dump two fistfuls of seedy guts into a bowl. “You’re off shift early!”

 

Leonard moved to stand next to the table and watched his friend work in confused fascination. “Uh, yeah, there was…stuff… Why are you carving a pumpkin?”

 

Jim sent him an amused look and dumped more gunk into the bowl. “Because it’s Fall, Bones!”

 

“Yeah, I get that,” he said, bracing his hands on the back of a chair. “But you also have two exams this week you need to study for.”

 

He got a shrug in return as Jim wiped off his hands on a towel and picked up a large spoon to scrape the sides of the hollowed-out cavity. “Done and done, Bones. Those won’t be until Monday and Tuesday and I still have tomorrow to study if I want to.” He dumped out his spoonful and went back for more. “This is just my study break.”

 

Leonard found his eyebrows inching up his forehead. “Carving pumpkins is your study break?”

 

“Well, yeah,” Jim simply shrugged his shoulders. “I do this every year. Started when I was little and my brother and I wanted something to do so we bought the pumpkins from a local farmer. From then on we’d grow the pumpkins ourselves and when October rolled around we’d have a challenge to see who could make the stupidest faces.” A soft grin spread over the kid’s face and the expression tugged at Leonard’s heart.

 

He didn’t think he’d ever seen this look on Jim.

 

Deep down he wasn’t sure if he ever wanted it to go away.

 

“As I got older I moved from carving stupid faces to trying to go more elaborate,” Jim continued, unaware of the doctor’s inner thoughts. “It’s rather therapeutic.” He placed the ‘lid’ back on the pumpkin and slid it away before bending down to heft another one onto the table. This one untouched by any knife. Jim gave it a pat and grinned at Leonard. “Wanna join me?”

 

The two already knew what his answer was going to be, but he let a few seconds go by in silence as he mulled over the offer. “Get me a cup of coffee first and let me get a pair of gloves; I don’t want my hands smelling like pumpkin for days on end.” He was barely even halfway through the statement before a beaming Jim gave the air a punch.

 

“You got it, Bones!”

 

It wasn’t until later, when they were in the middle of carefully carving out their designs, that a thought struck Leonard. He paused his ministrations and stared at the vegetable (fruit???) before him, brows furrowed as he took in the fresh smell and the list of programmed produce on their replicator.

 

Finally, Leonard pursed his lips and nodded, looking up across the table at his roommate hard at work. “You took these from the greenhouse didn’t you.”

 

The smirk on Jim’s face told him everything he needed to know.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Post-A/N: The big question is - What would they each carve on their pumpkins?????


	9. Day #9 : Ghosts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “He didn’t believe in any of that spiritual garbage that people try to hawk on gullible citizens.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pre-A/N: So this story was done using an alternative plotline from what I originally came up with.  
> Aaaaaaand it’s definitely something.

_**A No-Nonsense Man || McKirk-Tober Day #9** _

 

Leonard McCoy was a no-nonsense kind of man.

 

He didn’t believe in any of that spiritual garbage that people try to hawk on gullible citizens. Crystals were useless, those cards are just cards, and if aliens were real he’d eat his filthy boots.

 

_Thump!_

 

_Thump!_

 

_Thump!_

 

Leonard froze before the stove, letting the spoon in his hand sit motionless in the pot of mac and cheese, as the sounds echoed through the house. He didn’t have to turn around to know that his daughter was doing the same thing as she sat at the small table behind him. Only when the silence stretched on past several deep breaths did he resume stirring their meal.

 

It started with little things.

 

His car keys would be laying on the floor instead of the ceramic bowl in the entrance way.

 

A door he’d left open would swing shut.

 

Electronics would go on the fritz, cutting out spontaneously with static.

 

Those were easily explainable.

 

Jo was an inquisitive young girl. Always asking questions and fiddling with different objects. It wasn’t unusual for her leave things laying around.

 

After a rough divorce back in Georgia, Leonard and his daughter had moved into the old Riverside farmhouse six months ago. Keyword being ‘old’. The house was figured to have been built nearly a hundred years ago and, while he had yet to check, he wouldn’t be surprised if the floors were uneven and if the windows could let in a draft.

 

Did he mention it was a farmhouse? As in, the house was fifteen minutes away from the town and completely surrounded by corn fields. Tech malfunctions was one of the warnings on the house when he bought it.

 

But then things got…weird.

 

Sometimes he’d swear that someone was standing behind him.

 

Except no one was ever there when he’d turn around.

 

Different times he and his daughter would swear that they’d heard a voice – a man’s voice.  

 

Leonard was the only male around.

 

Sometimes, when he’d move past a reflective surface, he’d catch a flash of blue eyes or blond hair.

 

Neither he nor Jo had blue eyes or blond hair.

 

Twisting the knob, Leonard turned off the heat and divided the cheesy pasta between two bowls before setting them down on th -

 

_Thump!_

 

_Thump!_

 

_Thump!_

 

Matching eyes met briefly before spoons were simultaneously picked up and a conversation over the weather was started.

 

It was safe to say, Leonard McCoy  _was_  a no-nonsense kind of man.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Post-A/N: It would only be at the seven month mark after they’d moved in, when the trees had turned and the air had cooled, that the family of two would take a walk around their property and find the headstone.
> 
> A Google search later would reveal the tragic story of the murder of previous owner, James T. Kirk, thirty years prior.


	10. Day #10 : Haunted Forest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Hoia-Baciu lives up to it’s reputation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic comes as an inspiration from an episode of Destination Truth. In the episode, the team investigated this clearing in the Hoia-Baciu forest in Roamnia. The forest has numerous reports each year pertaining to paranormal incidents and this clearing is one of the creepiest. No trees grow there and many reports sightings of ghosts and *plays X-Files theme song*. 
> 
> So here’s a little fic featuring the ghost hunting couple, Jim and Bones ;)
> 
> Warning: yet another open ending...

_**Lights In The Dark || McKirk-Tober Day #10** _

 

“How’s it look, Bones?”

 

The cool night air bit though Jim’s jacket as he held his radio up by his head while he stared down at his computer screen.

 

“Like a creepy forest.” The radio crackled to life with his boyfriend’s response and an affectionate smirk blossomed on Jim’s face at the dry tone.

 

He pressed the side button and said, “Well, it’s nice to have further confirmation that we’re in the right place.”

 

And it was. While the clearing in the Hoia-Baciu forest was well known in the paranormal investigator’s community, it didn’t exactly equate to being easy to find. They had to ask upwards of thirty people before they managed to find the right section of the forest.

 

“Yeah…,” Bones’ voice drawled over the channel. “Okay I’m stepping into the clearing now.”

 

With that announcement, Jim leaned forward to squint at his computer screen. “Good, good  _aaaaaaand_  I see you now! Wave to the camera, Bones!” He grinned as the green figure of his boyfriend faced the camera and flipped it off before plopping down on the ground. “And may I just say that night time video footage of you is very unflattering.”

 

On camera, Bones lifted his radio. “Jim, shut up. You really aren’t helping this situation at all.”

 

Right, because it was his fault that Bones was a precious blossom from Georgia that couldn’t handle the nightly chill of Romania.

 

As the minutes passed, Bones did not get any less irritated by his situation. In fact his agitation only grew as Jim watched him on the small screen. He’d ask a question only for his head to snap up several seconds later in response to hearing something in the clearing with him. When he wouldn’t see anything, he’d slowly turn back towards the camera, take a steadying breath, and ask another question with a voice that was slightly more shaky than the previous time that he spoke.

 

It was thirty minutes in – after Jim saw him react to something in the clearing – that Bones lifted his radio and finally spoke to Jim. “Jim…”

 

Jim had his radio up in seconds, his heart rate beginning to pick up. “What is it?”

 

Bones slowly rose from his place on the ground, turning his side to the camera. “Do you have your flashlight on?”

 

“No. The portable lamp yes, but the light should be blocked by the tent and if you were to see it it should show up behind where the camera is set up,” Jim responded, brows scrunching in confusion. “What is it?” He could feel the adrenaline beginning to course through his body.

 

On the monitor, he watched as Bones clicked on his flashlight and point it at a section of the clearing not covered by the camera. With baited breath, he saw the light flicker before going out. Bones hit it against his hand a few times in an attempt to make it work. When that didn’t work, he radioed back to Jim. “Jim, my flashlight ’s out, but, listen, I think there’s something out here. I’ve been hearing what sounds like voices coming out of the woods and – and I just saw a light over in the woods.”

 

“You think it might be a local playing tricks?”

 

Bones shook his head. “When I looked with my light, I couldn’t see anything.”

 

Jim bit his lip. He was starting to get a feeling in his gut…and it wasn’t a good one. “You want me to come out there, Bones?” On screen, he watched as Bones stepped just off camera. “Bones?”

 

_What was he doing?_

 

He was just about to radio Bones again when saw his boyfriend stumble back into view and collapse, face-down, on the ground.

 

Jim was up and sprinting through the dark forest in seconds.

 

By the time he reached the clearing, his jeans were dirty and his hands were scraped up from where he’d tripped and fallen in his haste to check his love. The sight of Bones’ body still on the ground, unmoving, had his heart in his throat as he staggered forward.

 

“Bo-nes?” His voice came out thick and broken as he dropped to his knees. “Bo-nes?” His hands shook as he reached out, hovering in uncertainty over a body they’d mapped time and time before. Cautiously,  he turned Bones over onto his back and placed his fingers along the warm column of his neck.

 

He didn’t respond to the touch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just want to let you know that I didn’t actually realize that I had done so many open endings…
> 
> But I will tie up this one and say that I said “He didn’t respond to the touch” and that he’s not responding because he’s just knocked out. 
> 
> Bones is fine! I repeat, Bones is fine!


	11. Day #11 : Grim Reaper

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The favored gain a favor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pre-A/N: …Anyone interested in Reaper!Leonard????
> 
> ‘Cause I got Reaper!Leonard…
> 
> Warnings: vulgarity, mentions of - sex, death, abuse, Tarsus IV

_**Death’s Favor || McKirk-Tober Day #11** _

 

James Tiberius Kirk was a dead man walking.

 

To the average person it was impossible to know. Beneath his ribs, a heart beat strongly as a pair of lungs heaved air in and out. He flushed. He sweated. He ate, slept, drank, fucked, and spoke with a voice that had legs spreading faster than a bird’s wings when trying to take flight.

 

But Leonard was not your average person.

 

He wasn’t a person at all.

 

And James’ –  _Jimmy’s – Jim’s_  – name had been at the top of his list since the day the blue-eyed babe took his first breath.

 

But who could take a life that young?

 

Next time – as he was standing over a small, bruised, and broken body – it was  _‘Who could tak_ _e the life of someone who’s barely lived?’_

 

Then – as he watched a bloody, emancipated frame stumble through the grimy 'hospital’ room – it was  _'Who could take the life_ _of someone who fought so hard to keep others alive?’_

 

James Tiberius Kirk.

 

Again and again.

 

James Tiberius Kirk.

 

Over and over.

 

James Tiberius Kirk.

 

He was not gaining Death’s favor by ignoring the call to reap.

 

He supposed that that was why Jim’s name always showed on his list and  _only_  his list. To test his will and his loyalty.

 

He supposed he should feel guilty about ignoring such grand orders, but he wasn’t.

 

He supposed he should have expected that such disobedience would come at price, but he didn’t.

 

It was why the sudden pain that wracked his body, causing him to stumble blindly around outside the country bar had caught him so off guard.

 

Why he was so confused when someone came to his aid.

 

Why panic ensued when he couldn’t find his List.

 

Why he collapsed in shock when he realized he was capital A – L – I – V – E and no longer a Reaper for Death.

 

He didn’t know how to be human. He couldn’t remember the time he was a human…or if he ever  _was_  a human. He only knew how to take people’s souls. Well, he knew a lot of other things, but reaping was his only job for the past how long. Reaping souls and -

 

Oh.

 

_Oh._

 

The realization hit Leonard like a ton of bricks and before he could think he was boarding that tin can they call a shuttle at oh-eight hundred sharp.

 

And rushing to the bathroom because  _apparently_  the idea of flying did not agree with him.

 

And then getting dragged out of said bathroom because  _apparently_ no one was allowed to claim that as their assigned seat for the flight.

 

And then he was getting shoved down into an empty seat next to some poor military sod.  

 

So he really couldn’t be blame for the attitude he had when he leaned over and warned the poor guy that he may throw up on him because -

 

“I think these are pretty safe.”

 

He knew that voice.

 

He knew that face.

 

He knew those  _eyes_.

 

He never imagined a time when he thought that  _maybe_  those eyes could see him. He wondered briefly why he never did because right now it was the  _most_  glorious thing. The pain from before was totally worth it because right now, to be the sole recipient of the gaze of those blue eyes, was like waking up for the first time and seeing the sun rise. It sent waves of warmth through his entire body and had him reaffirming his decision to board the metal death trap.

 

He had a job – a  _new_  job - to do.

 

James Tiberius Kirk needed to be kept alive.

 

And he was going to make sure that happened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Post-A/N: All in all, Death got tired of Leonard not doing his bloody job (You had one job, Leonard! One! Job!) and decided to grant him the favor that he didn’t really realize he was asking for


	12. Day #12 : Corn Maze

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> \- or in which Leonard finds a new hatred and a new love in the span of two hours.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So...wow. I really don't have any pre-notes for you guys for this update :\
> 
> Everything gets explained along the way :)

_**The Hell Maze || McKirk-Tober Day #12** _

 

_No signal._

 

“Fuck.”

 

“That’s another dollar, Daddy.”

 

Leonard sighed and rolled his eyes at his daughter’s quip before he slipped his phone back into his pocket. “If we ever get home, Jo-bear, I’ll make sure to slip a five to the jar.”

 

Joanna hummed in response and looked around the dried cornstalks surrounding them. “It’s actually seven.”

 

“Of course it is,” he muttered, rubbing his brow and wondering just how soon before he’d be able to get out of the hell he’d walked into.

 

When Joanna had brought up the idea of visiting Kirk Farms, he’d agreed with very little convincing. In the five months since a newly-divorced Leonard had moved to Riverside with his daughter, they’d heard a lot about the Kirk family.

 

Or, more importantly, how they did Autumn right.

 

They had pumpkin patches where you could pick your own pumpkins. They had an apple orchard where you could pick your own apples and from where they made the best apple cider and apple cider donuts.

 

And they had a corn maze.

 

The  _fucking_  corn maze.

 

Every year their corn field would be mowed down into some new maze for people to explore…or for where people like Leonard could get lost.

 

Leonard was about ready to torch the entire field.

 

It started out as all fun and games and now, two hours later, he and Joanna where in God-only-knows what part of the ‘Maze from Hell’.

 

He felt a small hand grab his and he shoved down his frustration in order to be drug along by Jo who proclaimed that they should, “Go this way!”

 

Five minutes later Leonard felt like he was moments away from tears as they stared at yet another dead end of corn.

 

The only thing that kept him from breaking down – distracting him from the situation – was the sudden sound of buzzing that appeared overhead for several seconds before flying off.

 

“ _Oh, thank God_ ,” he whispered.

 

Someone sent a drone.

 

_Oh, he could kiss someone!_

 

The thought was merely something that popped up in his relief, but it was something he readily considered when the golden man in the dark blue hoodie strode around the corn corner five minutes later with a Cheshire grin.

 

“Please, tell me you’re our rescuer,” Leonard said, pouring out every ounce of hope he had in the words as he stumbled forward, Joanna on his heels.

 

Blondie just beamed at him, nose and eyes crinkling as he let out a low chuckle of amusement. “If you’re the pair that’s been lost for two hours…” He trailed off and, seeing Leonard nod his head vigorously, continued, “I am – OOF!” He grunted as Leonard wrapped his arms around his waist, hoisting him up in the air in a big bear hug.

 

“Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you,” he babbled. His voice was muffled from where his face was pressed into the guy’s chest. After a few seconds, he felt a hand pat his shoulder, bringing him back to his senses. Vaguely, Leonard found himself attempting to not dwell on the body heat permeating the soft fabric and the muscled chest beneath his cheek as he carefully set the man back down.

 

The guy didn’t seem to be too affected by Leonard’s enthusiasm. In fact, he seemed to be rather pleased over it. “If this is how all searches end, I’m definitely volunteering for more,” the guy chuckled, straightening his sweatshirt. He held out a hand. “I’m Jim.”

 

Leonard blushed, but took his offered hand. “Leonard McCoy. And this is my daughter, Joanna.” He watched as Jim shook Jo’s hand before starting to lead them out of the Maze from Hell. According to the younger man, they were only seven turns away from finding the end.

 

That was seven turns too many in Leonard’s opinion.

 

Heading Jim’s directions, Jo darted ahead thus leaving the two men to walk back on their own. Taking advantage of the moment of privacy, Leonard tipped his head to the side and said, “I really don’t think I can thank you enough for finding us.”

 

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Jim grin and in his chest he felt his heart flutter at the sight. “Eh, it’s not a problem, but if you really want to thank me you’ll let me take you out on a date.”

 

It was Leonard’s turn to grin. “Darlin’, you can take me out on as many dates as you want,” he replied, the words coming out in a thicker-than-normal drawl. His smile only grew when he noticed just how more pink Jim’s face looked.

 

_Maybe getting lost wasn’t so bad after all._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Post-A/N: I’ve never gotten lost in a corn maze, but I can tell you that I don’t really care to. Especially since I’m not going to have my own Jim come search for me :\
> 
> I can tell you that corn fields are creepy (Yeah, yeah fuck you Corn Monster! You heard me!) so it’s nice that people managed to make them a fun thing :)


	13. Day #13 : Merpeople

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It felt like the right thing to do…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pre-A/N: Ooooooooh it’s Friday the 13th! I didn’t actually realize at first that there was a Friday the 13th this month, but coincidentally there is some bad luck in this fic.
> 
> This was in my original list of ideas for this adventure, but I had axed it thinking that, idk, it wouldn’t fit for the month??? Anyways it got added back in when I went back through the list of themes :)
> 
> It actually gets explained in this fic, but for this what you need to know is that Jim is a mer who gets attached to Leonard. More importantly I would like to point out that he doesn’t know Leonard’s name so he just refers to Leonard as ‘Him’ throughout the fic.
> 
> Warnings: mention of drowning, death, injury

_**Savior || McKirk-Tober Day #13** _

 

James knew what was going to happen before they even knew.

 

He’d watched, helplessly, from behind a rock near the jagged cliff face as the ship with black sails came upon His ship.

 

He smelled the thick smoke that soon rose, tainting the air and making him cough.

 

He heard the booms sound, louder than anything he’d ever heard before…heard the screams…

 

Watched with wide eyes as wood and men flew, cluttering the surrounding water.  

 

_No…_

 

It was all over as quickly as it had begun, the ship with black sails gliding off as His ship floated a smoking, burning mess.

 

_Please, no…_

 

It was then that James finally left his cover, gliding though the water and twisting around debris with ease as he searched….searched for Him.

 

For eighty suns James had been following the ship, but he’d been following Him for nearly one-hundred. He’d seen him first at the place where the boats gather, standing stock-still and staring out over the calm waters as the sun colored the sky with corals and violets.

 

James had always been warned about being ensnared by the metal hooks and spears that Men make, but he’d never been warned about being ensnared by Men with nothing but a look. His sharp features and dark hair, so different than James’ own, had taken his breath away in the fading sunlight.

 

He couldn’t bring himself to return to his pod. By now they probably thought he was dead, but he couldn’t risk returning to them only to come back and find Him gone.

 

So he stayed.

 

He stayed and he watched for Him, always carefully hidden close enough to watch, but far enough away to not be seen.

 

When James observed Him get on one of the big ships - the one with the white sails – and didn’t get off before it began to cut through the water, he followed, his long gold tail effortlessly keeping pace.

 

It had felt like the right thing to do.

 

Just like searching for Him now, among the debris, felt like the right thing to do.

 

Several passes below the surface had left James with no sign of Him. Just a bunch of ship parts and unrecognizable humans slowly drifting towards the dark of the ocean floor.

 

Breaking the surface, his lungs burned from the sudden switch in breathing, but James pushed the pain away as he craned his to and fro. Not seeing Him, he ducked under and popped up in a different area.

 

And again.

 

And again.

 

And again.

 

It was when he broke the surface on the opposite side of the now sinking ship that he saw Him, arms clutching a makeshift raft, head resting down against the damps boards.

 

As James swam forward, his heart in his throat, he saw the red trickling down the side of his Him’s face to join a growing area of discolored water.

 

As James swam forward, his tail and webbed fingers sloshing the water in his haste, he saw Him pick his head up at the noise and open his eyes to blink wearily.

 

Those eyes did not leave James as he closed the distance between them. They merely peered back with a glazed hope in between slow blinks.

 

When one arm sluggishly moved out towards James, it made his decision to slot his mouth firmly over chill lips and pull Him under all that much easier.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Post-A/N: So during my research of mermaids I read this detail about in some cultures mermaids would essentially drag people underwater to drown them. That’s honestly as horrifying as it is interesting. So I tweaked it for this. That a mer could change a human by kissing them as they drag them underwater. Does that make a lot of sense?


	14. Day #14 : Hidebehind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Camping rules*!!! [*sucks!!!]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can you believe we’re almost halfway through the month?????? Like…wow! Anyways, this is rather on the short side and a quick read soooo
> 
> And to those that have taken the time to leave a comment and to the others that have been clicking 'Kudos' - Thank you!!! I'm happy to see that you guys have been enjoying the different stories in this series :) ♥

_**Weekend Away || McKirk-Tober Day #14** _

 

“Jim, what the hell?”

 

After the fifth time of seeing his boyfriend stop and look around with a strange look, Leonard’s curiosity finally reached its peak.

 

Not to mention that it was really starting to creep him out.

 

“You mean you seriously didn’t hear that?” Jim didn’t look back at him when he spoke, only clicked on his flashlight in order better peer into the dark forest surrounding them.

 

Leonard shook his head in response and glanced around himself.

 

For once, this idea had been his own and not one pulled from Jim’s genius mind. Their first year at the academy had been tough, but second year had easily kicked that one aside. Midterms alone left them both sleep deprived and over caffeinated. So much so that Leonard finally put his foot down and suggested that the two go off for a camping trip the immediate weekend after the exams.

 

No tech allowed.

 

Just the two of them, some supplies, and a few hundred acres of beautiful Mother Nature.

 

At least…it was beautiful during the day.

 

Jim’s big – and really only – idea for the trip was to venture away from their campsite to the nearby ocean cliffs in order to better stargaze. Leonard, for lack of no better idea, agreed and let the blond lead their way through the dark forest.  

 

Though Leonard was beginning to regret that decision after seeing just how paranoid his boyfriend was becoming. Every single noise or movement had the kid nearly jumping out of his skin. “Jim it was probably just a deer or something.”

 

“No,” Jim frowned, squinting in an attempt to see better. “No it sounded far larger than a deer…and it sounded like something clawing against bark.”

 

With a shrug, Leonard stepped around Jim, allowing his hand to grasp the younger man’s shoulder. “Deer often rub their antlers against trees, kid.”

 

With the slight pressure, Jim allowed himself to be guided on. “I’m well aware of that, Bones, but I’m telling you that the sound seemed to be from something far too large to be a deer.”

 

“Then it was bear.”

 

“Bigger.”

 

With a sigh and a roll of his eyes, Leonard kept dragging him on. “Sure, Jim.” He learned a long time ago to pick and choose his battles.

 

Moments later, once when the presence of humans and light had moved on, the shadows almost seemed to shift as the tall, inky figure stepped out from behind a slender tree and made to follow it’s prey.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Post-A/N: The woods are freaky. End of story. I think it really says something that most horror movies involve either the woods, corn fields, and or the suburbs. 
> 
> Idk if I should have put this at the beginning, but for those who are wondering wtf???? is a hidebehind - A hidebehind is a creature that’s said to inhabit the woods that has the ability to hide behind anything. It can essentially change it’s shape to do so. It will then stalk it’s prey (people in the woods) before attacking and dragging them back to its lair to eat them….
> 
> I swear I’m gonna make it all up to you guys in a few days! You will be rewarded for all the emotional pain I’ve been putting you guys through!


	15. Day #15 : Mediums

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A question that has plagued humanity for centuries finally has an answer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pre-A/N: I’ll admit it - There are some of these that I absolutely love and others that really make me go ‘meh’ once it’s time to post them. This is one that actually really like. 
> 
> And..okay…there’s a plotpoint (really a fan made headcanon) to this little thing that is really really fucking major for this fic and I’m not sure if I should put it at the beginning… Okay because I don’t want to really spoil the fic, I’m gonna link it below. All I’m going to say is that a fan developed a headcanon for Leonard a few months back and when I got to writing this fic it sort of…worked. I’ll tell more in the post note
> 
> Warnings: talk of death

_**Tethers || McKirk-Tober Day #15** _

 

Growing up, it had taken Jim many years before he understood that he was…different.

 

To understand that the old farmer who lived down the road from his childhood home wasn’t always ignoring the old woman who was always close by…

 

That the young librarian wasn’t purposely ignoring the older man who always sat in the window seat just beyond the front counter…

 

That the teen working the register at the theater wasn’t ignoring the little boy that always chattered non-stop to him about everything happening in the lobby…

 

No, it wasn’t until he was eight that Jim finally stopped questioning strangers on the street and began to observe more.

 

He had always been confused over the expressions they would get when he spoke up. The people were always happy to talk to him when he talked to them – so why were these people ignoring them so much?

 

He got his answers when Mr. Goby died and his son took over the small bakery.

 

Turns out, all those stories he was told about loved ones “moving on” were a load of bullshit.

 

Throughout his life he learned that while some did go wherever it was that people went after they died, most hung around the living they were close to when they were alive, existing in a plane hidden completely hidden in plain sight. At a first glance, one wouldn’t know that anything was unusual about them; they all walked, talked and looked alive, but then the sun would catch them  _just right_  and a glimmer would fall across their body or they would pass through another person…then he would  _know_.

 

He would know that that person was no longer apart of this world.

 

As the years passed, Jim got better about ignoring them. He felt awful about it, sure, but it wasn’t like he could keep pausing his life to talk to them (not to mention the weird looks he always got from the living).

 

From the ones he managed to speak with, he discovered that they all were well aware of what happened, but none of them really knew  _why_  they were still here.

 

Up until last year, that was the question he then ached to understand.

 

The porch swing let out another creak as the warm body shifted underneath him, distracting him from the small socked feet that swung back and forth over the edge of the porch. “Kid, you’re heavy,” the sleep addled voice drawled.

 

Jim turned his head with a smirk, resting his chin over Bone’s heart so he could peer up into the Georgian’s hazel eyes. “And yet you’ve never tried to do anything about that,” he retorted, his grin softening from the affection that rushed through him at the responding snort. With a deep breath, he laid his head back down, his eyes immediately going back to the little girl sitting a few feet away. He let out his own soft snort as she peered back with a broad smile and gave a big wave, her arm disappearing for a second at the movement.

 

No, it wasn’t until he met Leonard McCoy – saw the cherished photos and heard the drunken, tear soaked confession – that Jim finally understood why some spirits stayed behind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Post-A/N: So, yes, this fic was inspired by [@mccoymostly‘s headcanon concerning Leonard and his daughter Joanna](https://mccoymostly.tumblr.com/post/158462609762/okay-but-whats-your-joanna-hc). If you are not familiar with it, please go give it a read! And heed my warning when I say it’s rather heart-wrenching. 
> 
> As for the answer to Jim’s question - the living’s strong emotional attachment. Whether that is guilt, regret, love/missing - if it’s very strong then the spirit may end up sticking around. That’s my explanation for why (in this fic) spirits stay around.
> 
> And if you were wonder, Jim has not told Leonard about his ability…nor about Jo.


	16. Day #16 : Leaf Piles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes, silence is not so much golden as it is concerning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pre-A/N: Ahhhh, leaf piles. Such a tiny Autumn detail, but a fun one. 
> 
> And Jo makes a reappearance ;)

_**The Dangers of Silence || McKirk-Tober Day #16** _

 

When Leonard woke up from his impromptu nap on the living room couch, he was greeted with silence.

 

He was then up and on the move within seconds, searching the house in a panicked frenzy.

 

If there was one thing that he’d come to learn during his relationship with Jim, it was that silence around him was a cause for concern.

 

Silence around him  _and_  Joanna was cause for full blown terror.

 

The last time those two were dead silent…well, dread grew in his stomach at the thought and he wearily glanced into the kitchen.

 

An  _empty, clean_  kitchen.

 

Leonard let out a sigh of relief at the sight. He was just about to turn and move on to check another room when movement outside the window caught his attention. Changing direction, he made his way to the sliding glass door and stepped out onto he deck, an amused – yet confused – look gracing his face. “Jim, what are you doing?”

 

At the sound of his voice, the blond paused his actions in order to send a grin in the doctor’s direction as he leaned against the massive rake he held. “Thought it was obvious, Bones,” Jim said cheekily.

 

An eye roll was his response and he made his way over to where Jim stood next to the rather sizable pile of colorful leaves. “It is,” he said, “but I more expected something a little less tame than raking leaves.” He glanced around the backyard as he spoke, taking in the exposed, dying grass and the three other leaf piles. For working on his own, Leonard had to admit that the younger man had done a remarkable job of -

 

. _..wait._

 

It was then that he noticed a certain detail…or lack thereof. One that had his panic kicking back in and he looked back at his boyfriend in worry. “Jim, where’s Jo?”

 

He watched as Jim raised his brows before looking about the yard himself. “Huh, she was here a minute ago…”

 

The absolute lack of concern coming off Jim only set Leonard off more. He trusted him with Jo. Hell, he trusted him with Jo more than he trusted her own mother. And that’s his response? A  _‘huh’_? “You lost my daughte – AAAAAAHHHHHHHH!”

 

The words had barely left Leonard’s mouth when the large leaf pile exploded and, among the chaos of yelling and floating leaves, he found himself on the ground, clutching his heaving chest and staring up at the figures of his boyfriend and daughter.

 

Both of whom, he quickly noticed, were covered in bits of colorful leaves and bent over laughing.

 

Admittedly, it took Leonard several seconds to fully process what exactly just happened, but – once he saw the glistening tear tracks on each of their faces – his panic ebbed away, only to be replaced by a strong feeling of irritation.

 

An  _extremely_  strong feeling of irritation; one that had him glowering at the two, one eye twitching noticeably.

 

An eye that kept twitching as the laughter continued on.

 

And on…

 

And on…

 

It was minutes before he finally saw Jim take a gasping breath and straighten, wiping tears from his sparkling eyes as Jo calmed down to intermittent giggles in the background. “Oh,  _man_ , Bones! You should have seen your face!” The words were barely wheezed out before he was overtaken by more laughter, the rake finally dropping to the ground near Leonard as Jim covered his flushed face.

 

A huge mistake on his part; for it meant that Jim was already on the ground getting tickled by Leonard before he even realized his boyfriend had moved.

 

Then again, neither were prepared for Jo’s sneak attack either. A fact they both regretted when days later Jim was still complaining about finding bits of leaves still stuck in his hair.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Post-A/N: I love this little family and I hope this one makes up a bit for yesterday’s posting.


	17. Day #17 : The X-Files/Government Agents

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AKA - The stretch and snap.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this relates to a fic I wrote several months back called [Plausible Attraction](https://archiveofourown.org/works/10053152). When I wrote that I had been binge watching The X-Files and thought it would be interesting to write the first meeting of Agents Mulder and Scully as the first meeting of Agents Kirk and McCoy. While Plausible Attraction was from an episode, this fic isn’t. 
> 
> It’s the rubber band snapping and my apology for some of the emotional roller-coasters I’ve sent you all on the past several days.
> 
> Warnings: swearing, mentions of sex

_**Eight Months to Wreck Eternity** _ _**|| McKirk-Tober Day #1** _ _**7** _

 

When Jim stumbled out of the woods a tattered, bruised, and bloodied mess, Leonard’s doctor instincts should have kicked in. He should have rushed over to his oddball partner, sat him down, and performed a preliminary check to make sure he was okay.

 

Instead - after barely registering the beaming blond’s exclamation of  _“Did you see that,_ _Bones_ _?” -_ Leonard had strode over, gripped the younger man’s loosened tie, and pulled him forward in order to smashed their lips together.

 

Eight months.

 

Leonard had been Jim’s assigned partner for nearly eight months and during those eight months the two managed to learn a lot about each other. Likes, dislikes, odd quirks, their personal history - all spilled with ease over long car rides, takeout meals, and sleepless nights of casework.

 

Most of all, though, it meant eight months of stretching the proverbial rubber band between them.

 

Every lingering touch and gaze pulled more and more at the building tension between the two agents so  to find it finally snapping at the sight of his potentially injured partner came as no surprise to Leonard.

 

Nor was it a surprise to him when he felt the younger man wrap his arms tightly around his waist and press his lips harder against Leonard’s own, eagerly working on deepening the sudden kiss. The swipe of tongue and the clashing of teeth had the older agent’s toes curling inside his shiny shoes, but it was the cheeky bite to his lower lip that had him moaning and hitching his hips roughly against Jim.

 

And it was this action, bringing attention to a  _rather noticeable_  and  _shared_  interest, that had Leonard breaking the kiss with a deep, shuttering breath. He didn’t open his eyes, only tipped his face forward enough to rest their foreheads together. “Don’t ever fucking do that again, Jim,” he whispered. His voice came out rough from the combination of high emotions and lack of air, but he didn’t care. Leonard moved his hands to the back of Jim’s neck, his fingers brushing along the short hairs there. He reveled in the low groan the action pulled from Jim. “This is the twentieth time you’ve pulled shit like that and I can’t take it anymore.”

 

With these words, Leonard finally allowed his eyes to flicker open and it took everything in him to not kiss the life out of the man before him. From swollen, slightly parted lips to wide, shining eyes, Jim displayed an openness that Leonard had only been able to see a handful of times over the past months.

 

“Please don’t tell me you’re going to ask for a transfer.” Jim’s voice fared no better as he said the plea and Leonard’s heart ached at the sound. He brought his arms up to loop them around Jim’s neck.

 

“No, you infant.” He sealed the words with a light brush of his lips. “If I do that then one of the weird-ass creatures we deal with is bound to kill you, but if you keep pulling shit like this I’m going to die from a heart-attack.”

 

When he finished speaking, Jim stole the opportunity to initiate his own kiss. “Bones, if it means getting kissed like that, I have no problem saying fuck all to the aliens every now and then.” Another kiss, this time sliding his hands down to grip Leonard’s hips in an effort to hold them closer. “ _And_ , if it means I can  _finally_  get you into bed, then they can  _absolutely_  take a back seat.”

 

“God damn it,” was the last coherent thing Leonard said for several minutes before occupying his mouth and mind with Jim once more because  _o_ _f course_  it would take kissing and sex to get Jim Kirk to shut up about aliens and the other weird shit he was obsessed with.

 

And Leonard would be a lying idiot if he said he wasn’t going to use that knowledge for future reference.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Post-A/N: Bones is totally gonna use play those cards in order to get Jim to takes breaks from cases.
> 
> I said I was going to do a continuation of Plausible Attraction and here it is! Honestly though, this fic almost didn’t happen. The idea of using The X-Files for McKirk-Tober didn’t even come to me until last month. I don’t think it was what anyone was expecting, but I also didn’t quite want to do a whole slow-burn series and I didn’t want to use another episode and didn’t have too much time to think up a case for them to solve.


	18. Day #18 : Graveyard

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trespassing has consequences

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pre-A/N: So this fic was inspired by something I found while perusing Pinterest for Halloween aesthetic stuff and honestly it’s one of the freakiest things ever. The pic (credit to the person who originally posted it) will be linked below in the post-note :)
> 
> Warnings: swearing, mentions of sex

_**The Trees Have Eyes || McKirk-Tober Day #1**_ _**8** _

 

“Jim, we really shouldn’t be doing this…” Bones’ voice trailed off behind him as Jim stopped before the closed, wrought iron gates. After giving it a quick test, Jim set about quickly picking the lock before pushing one side open and slipping inside, motioning for Bones to do the same.

 

Technically, his boyfriend had a point. They really shouldn’t be going inside the cemetery at night, but he wasn’t about to say that out loud. Giving his eyes a roll for the dramatic effect, Jim quipped, “It’s Halloween, Bones. It’s pretty much a universal law that everyone spends a night in a cemetery for the holiday.” He took a moment to carefully close the gate behind them, but when he turned around he found Bones was giving him a rather unimpressed look, clutching the large flashlight to his chest.

 

“Jim…it’s the twenty-seventh.”

 

“Semantics.”

 

“Jim -”

 

The doctor attempted to object, but cut himself off when Jim grabbed the flashlight and clicking it on before taking his hand and tugging him deeper into the graveyard.

 

☼

 

 

_He loved his boyfriend._

 

_He loved his boyfriend._

 

_He loved his boyfriend._

 

It was one of the truest statements he knew, yet there were moments where he questioned just how sane he was due to how true the statement was.

 

Like, right now, he was willingly trespassing in a cemetery at night with said boyfriend because he was absolutely helpless to Jim’s pretty baby blues and completely at the younger man’s mercy when in his post-coital haze.

 

So while he didn’t want to be here taking a walk among the orderly rows of mis-matched headstones, Jim’s warm hand around his own kept Leonard grounded enough to continue walking by his side…physically.

 

“You’re feelin’ a little tense, Bones.”

 

Mentally he was reviewing every single movie and TV show he’d seen in which people were killed in a graveyard.

 

“Oh, really? I hadn’t noticed,” he snarked, jumping slightly when he saw a bat swoop by mere feet away. It wasn’t until Jim squeezed his hand that he realized just how tight he was holding on. Leonard made to loosen his grip, but Jim gave another squeeze before tugging him off the path. Walking over the final resting place of various strangers wasn’t something he was pleased about, although before he could speak his objections he found himself sandwiched between the rough back of a tree and Jim’s solid body.

 

 _Oh_ …

 

“You know,” Jim purred, close to his ear. “I can think of some ways to help you relax.”

 

 _No_ …

 

“Jim, we are in public in a fucking  _cemetery_!” Leonard hissed.

 

And this was something he absolutely  _could not_  be convinced to do.

 

“C'mon, Bones,” he coaxed, pulling away from Leonard to set the flashlight on the ground. With the new angle of illumination, Jim’s face took on a whole new appearance from the cast shadows. When he grinned, it looked positively ghoulish. “It’ll be fin –  ** _AHHHHHHHHOH FUCK!_** ”

 

As he screamed, Jim dropped back and away, eyes tipped upward in horror. It had Leonard jumping away from the tree and grabbing onto his boyfriend as his heart began to pound in his chest. “WHAT IS –  _OH_  my god!”

 

He looked up.

 

He looked up and was now gazing upon the face of true horror…and one that he never expected to see.

 

“Jim,” Leonard gasped out. “Jim, it’s just one of those psychotic McDonald’s boxes.”

 

“What?” Jim clutched at him and Leonard knew that the younger man was now really looking at what was hiding in the tree. “Wha –  _Why the fuck would someone put that up there?!_ ”

 

His voice edged on the point of hysterical and it made Leonard snort.  “Fuck if I know.”

 

The next few moments were filled with silence as the couple focused on calming their racing hearts under the ever-watchful and downright sinister eyes of the children’s meal box. When the silence was broken, it was by Jim.

 

“You’re not going to tell anyone about the scream, are you?”

 

Leonard’s only response was soft huff and a faint twitching of his lips.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Post-A/N: [This is the photo](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/162974080240781131/) and let me tell you that I always found those things creepy. Like, who decided that that was an okay box design for a kid’s happy meal??????


	19. Day #19 : Dragons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pain potions are incredible.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pre-A/N: We got another Magic!AU here! This time it takes place on a dragon reserve where our lovely Jim is a dragonkeeper and Bones is the new healer ;)
> 
> Warnings: swearing, mentions of burns, very brief implication of sex at the end

_**Casanova** _ _**|| McKirk-Tober Day #1** _ _**9** _

 

“AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH FUCK!”

 

“JIM!”

 

Even through the stinging pain currently lacing up his shoulder, it was rather hard to miss the concerned shout of his partner. Even harder to miss was the impact of said partner’s body against his own in an attempt to get Jim out of the way of a very pissed off Harold.

 

An impact that lead to his burned shoulder getting jammed roughly against the ground, forcing another cry of pain to rip from his throat.

 

An impact that lead to his world going dark.

 

* * *

 

 

“-im? Jim? Hey, can you hear me? Jim?”

 

_Hikaru?_

 

Jim cracked his eyes open, albeit sluggishly, to find himself focusing on the face of his partner peering down at him in worry. As he came more to, he realized he was still on the ground of the – now dragon free – enclosure. Above him, Hikaru’s expression morphed into one of relief. “Oh, thank god, you’re still alive.”

 

 _Alive_  seemed to be a trigger for his body. The moment it was spoken, pain blossomed across his body forcing a strangled shout from his throat, and black spots began to dance across his vision once more.

 

“Hey, hey, Jim, stay with me.” He saw Hikaru glance around. Like he was looking for someone. “You caught some flames from Harold and were about to catch more when I pushed you out of the way. When you hit the ground you ended up passing out for a few minutes.” Hikaru looked around again, only this time he let out a sigh of relief. “The Doc is almost here; you’re gonna be fine”

 

_Be fine…_

 

_Fine…_

 

The words sounded faint to his ears as he once more succumbed to the darkness.

 

* * *

 

 

The world was bright as Jim’s eyes flickered open and he quickly squeezed them tightly shut before blinking slowly to adjust them. As he did so, he shifted on the soft squishy surface, letting out a short groan.

 

“Mornin’ Casanova.”

 

The sound of the low drawling voice had Jim’s head snapping up in order to locate it.

 

Unfortunately, it also had his head spinning.

 

“What’d ya expect was gonna happen, huh?” The voice spoke again as Jim dropped his head back into the pillow. Suddenly, an unfamiliar face popped into his line of sight.

 

_Oh…an angel._

 

The brunet man quirked his lips. “I’m a doctor, not an angel,” he quipped, stepping away to wave his wand over Jim’s body. “Though the fact that you’re back to flirting makes me assume that you’re getting better. How are you feeling? Any pain?”

 

Jim, a little flushed from embarrassment from saying that out loud, blinked up at the healer -  _doctor_. ‘Uh…no. No pain.”

 

So this was the mediwizard –  _Doctor McCoy_  - that reserve had hired. Since the last one had retired, Pike – the head of the Riverside Dragon Reserve – had ordered them all to keep their injuries at Zero until they could hire another healer. That time was up five days ago and the ones that visited the medical tent since McCoy’s arrival had come back gripping about how gruff the guy was.

 

Right now, as he watched McCoy cast his different spells and jot down notes, Jim couldn’t quite see how any of the things they said could be true. He seemed like a pretty good guy.

 

Not to mention a handsome one.

 

It was then something clicked inside Jim’s mind. “Wait,  _Casanova_?  _Back_  to flirting?”

 

McCoy merely glanced over briefly with a smirk.

 

* * *

 

 

Five days later, when he had the doctor’s solid body pressing his own roughly into his mattress, he sent a quick mental thanks to his drugged up self’s flirting skills.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Post-A/N: Can we just imagine Jim, high on pain meds/potions, flirting like crazy with Bones???? 
> 
> Also, I imagine Bones to have studied not only the magical healing ways, but also the muggle healing ways


	20. Day #20 : American Football

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jim finally wears Leonard down

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pre-A/N: So, I know essentially nothing about American football. I don’t care about it…at all. What I do care about, are these two dorks.
> 
> That being said, I have no idea if there are spectators seats level with the field, but for the sake of the fic there are ;)
> 
> Also, I'm going to be away most of this weekend so tomorrow's fic and Sunday's fic will both be posted later on on Sunday. But, if you follow me on tumblr, I'll have them queued up so they will post like normal :)
> 
> I also just want to, once again, say thank you to those of you who have been commenting. I greatly appreciate them! I've been doing a poor job on replying to those, but I've been reading them and I just want to say that you guys are awesome! :) ♥

_**Touchdown || McKirk-Tober Day #** _ _**20** _

 

“Oh. My.  _Gooooooood_! He just looked at us again!”

 

It took every single ounce of self restraint inside Leonard to not roll his eyes at the two girls sitting behind him. Instead, he kept his eyes focused on the red-uniform clad football players on the field. More precisely, he kept his eyes on the football player with the gold starburst on the side of his helmet.

 

James Tiberius Kirk: astrophysics major, captain of Starfleet University’s football team, and…

 

“Oh. My. Gooooooood! He sooooo wants us!”

 

…the guy who’s been flirting relentlessly with Leonard since the moment they met on campus a few years prior.

 

Invites for drinks. Invites to dinner. Invites for party plus-ones. Jim had tried it all and every time Leonard had turned him down.

 

Except for this time.

 

Because while Jim flirted with him, he also flirted with everything that moved. After coming out of a shitty relationship, Leonard wanted to make sure that his next relationship was with someone who would stay monogamous.

 

Jim…didn’t actually come across as someone who would be in for a committed, monogamous relationship.

 

In fact, it wasn’t until Leonard realized how the kid had essentially become his best friend that he really paid close attention to how Jim acted around him in comparison to everyone else…and how he  _really_  felt about the exuberant blond.

 

Which is how he came to be sitting ground level on the fifty yard line.

 

As part of Jim’s latest seduction idea, he gave Leonard a ticket to the game – knowing full well that Leonard has yet to actually see a game in person - with the instruction of if he goes, that’s the sign of accepting Jim’s affections.

 

The crowd went wild as Jim threw the ball down field, but Leonard only upped his cheering when he saw Jim glance briefly in his direction to meet his gaze.

 

Leonard had figured out early on in the game that that was why he had this seat; so Jim had an easy way of seeing him.

 

He winced at the high pitched screams behind him.

 

Unfortunately, the two sophomores didn’t know that.

 

Yet the game played on and Jim kept glancing at him despite the torture to Leonard’s ears. Before he knew it, tension in the stadium reached an all-time high as every spectator sat on the edge of their seats to see if Starfleet could break the current tie and win the game.

 

He watched, one pair in the sea of thousands, as Jim – with one more glance at Leonard – signaled for the ball, faked out the other team, and took off in a dead run for the end-zone, dodging around players as thousands of voices rose in a deafening roar.

##  **_“TOUCHDOWN!”_ **

 

Leonard let out a loud  _‘Whoop!’_ with his fellow 'Fleeters as the team raced to congratulate Jim, the gold starburst getting swallowed up by the red helmets. He allowed himself to get lost in the emotions of the crowd…and time. It wasn’t until a double squeal erupted from behind him that he saw the gold starburst break away from the group and start jogging in his direction. When the helmet was removed, revealing blond hair darkened and plastered to Jim’s flushed face by sweat, the squeals got louder and Leonard’s heart thumped faster. As he got closer, Leonard could better see Jim’s face and was momentarily shocked at the look of disbelief on his face.

 

Like he didn’t actually believe that Leonard would show up.

 

“Bones…” The way Jim spoke his ridiculous nickname had a tendril of heat igniting in Leonard’s belly and when the blond finally reached him, he gladly accepted the needy kiss that Jim pulled him into.

 

And he didn’t even try to hid his smug smirk when he heard the indignant complaints from the two girls behind them.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Post-A/N: These two are so cute together omg. Like, Jim! Stop ogling your future boyfriend and stay focused on the game!


	21. Day #21 : Yeti

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The adventure of a lifetime

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back and rested after an eventful weekend!! 
> 
> And I have three of these to add today! :D

_**One More Hour** _ _**|| McKirk-Tober Day #** _ _**21** _

 

“Just one more hour, Bones!”

 

One. More. Hour.

 

Jim felt positively giddy at the thought.

 

All those years of hiking and climbing – and dragging his boyfriend along – had finally payed off.

 

“Thank god for that!” Bones chirped from behind him. In front of Jim, their guide let out brief, happy cheer.

 

When Jim first approached Bones with the idea to climb Mount Everest nearly two years ago, Bones damn near broke up with him on the spot. But, with his  _exceptional_  charisma, he was able to convince Bones to join him on the adventure.

 

_One more hour…_

 

He grinned and unconsciously settled his hand over his breast pocket.

 

In one more hour, not only will they be at the peak of the world’s tallest mountain, but he will hopefully be coming back down the mountain with his fiancé by his side.

 

“My, god…”

 

Jim was pulled from his thoughts at Bones’ gasp. Pausing, he turned to face him only to find him staring off to his right. When Jim turned to see what he was looking at, he found his jaw dropping in shock. “Bones…are those…footprints?”

 

“I…I think they are…”

 

They shared a quick glance before trudging over with their guide to get a better look.

 

All of them only ended up more stupefied by the sight.

 

“They’re huge,” Jim commented.

 

Huge was an understatement. Each print was roughly twice the size of their own feet and separated by several feet of completely untouched snow. The path they made came perpendicular to their own before aligning parallel and leading up over the edge of the hill before them.

 

He watched as Bones knelt down next to one. “Jim,” he spoke, turning his head to peer up at him. “You don’t think this could be…,” he trailed off, but not before a loud series of  _“Oooh's”_  were heard from just beyond the ridge of snow.

 

Jim’s heart pounded at the sound as they all remained silent and motionless.

 

He was about to get a lot more from this trip then the honor of climbing the world’s tallest peak and gaining a fiancé.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Post-A/N: Putting the question out there for everyone - Thoughts on the existence of bigfoot (and the yeti and the other bigfoot creatures around the world). 
> 
> I personally think that it’s a possibility (I stress possibility) that they do exist. We only have really scratched the surface of life on this planet (I mean, scientists are still finding new creatures in the rain forests and let’s not even start on wtf is in the oceans.) so there’s a chance that bigfoot and the yeti exist. Not to mention all of the different encounters reported over the years. And according to the one guy on Expedition Unknown bigfoot and other cryptids are just alien pets lol.
> 
> But I also completely get when people say they don’t believe in the existence in the species. 
> 
> I will say that when I wrote this and got to the point where they heard the yeti, I just kept thinking of [Shane doing his bigfoot call](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWNyH56oXvY) and then I’d end up wheezing for about 10 minutes. 
> 
> I just fucking love Buzzfeed Unsolved 
> 
> (*wheeze*)


	22. Day #22 : Magical Creatures

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The confrontation is long over due

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pre-A/N: Aaaaaand yet another Magic!AU. Can you tell I love Harry Potter??? Because I love Harry Potter. Although this fic leans a little more in the direction of Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them. 
> 
> Basically, Magizoologist!Jim and his suitcase of creatures move into a muggle apartment building. His neighbor, Muggle!Leonard, across the hall starts to notice something isn’t right.
> 
> Warnings: swearing

_**Thief** _ _**|| McKirk-Tober Day #** _ _**22** _

 

As the black leather cushion softly thumped against the floor where he threw it, Leonard swore and glared around his now wrecked apartment.

 

His watch – the one his father had owned and given him before he passed – was missing.

 

Every time he was about to go to sleep, he would unbuckle the watch and carefully place it on his nightstand. Every time he woke up, after his shower and before he found something to eat, he would buckle it around his wrist and be on his way.

 

When he woke up this morning, the watch was gone.

 

It was not the first thing to go missing.

 

With a frustrated huff, Leonard spun on his heel and marched to the door.

 

His destination.

 

The apartment directly across from his own.

 

It had started out with little things; loose change mostly. He almost didn’t even realize what was happening at first. Then he noticed how he couldn’t find some of his rings or necklaces…

 

Leonard pounded his fist against the dark green door. When there wasn’t an answer, he repeated the action.

 

See, a few days ago he’d had a sudden realization.

 

These missing objects didn’t start to go missing until roughly three months ago.

 

_And guess who moved in roughly three months ago._

 

He was about to knock for the fifth time when Leonard heard the locks click and the door swung open. Hackles raised, he barged into the apartment to give his neighbor a piece of his mi-

 

Blinking in confusion, Leonard peered around the apartment. A reversed image to his own, everything seemed to be neat and orderly and filled with antiques.

 

It was also empty of it’s tenant.

 

“God damn it,” he muttered. Turning around, he noticed the door had already swung shut and the locks had been clicked into place.

 

_That’s…weird._

 

“Hello?” He called out. When there wasn’t an answer, Leonard proceeded to search the apartment for  ~~the thief~~  his neighbor. No one was hiding out of sight in the living room and the kitchen turned up empty. “Listen, I need to talk to you about something. So it would be really nice if you would stop hiding and would just come out and talk like an adult.” Moving down the narrow hallway, he stopped and opened a door that revealed a small, cluttered study.

 

His brows went up at the sight. And he thought his study was messy. This guy had floor to ceiling shelves jam-packed with books, walls covered with various pages of notes and drawings and a desk (also cluttered with papers) with an old typewriter and quills on top. Though the strangest part of the room was the vintage suitcase laying in the center of the floor.

 

With a deep sigh, Leonard backed out and made to close the door when a sliding sound had him peering back inside. It was then he noticed that the suitcase had shifted position.

 

And then he witnessed it pop open.

 

“What the fuck!” He yelped, jumping back in shock. When it didn’t move anymore, Leonard slowly crept forward to peer inside. What he saw had him even more baffled.

 

A ladder, descending down several feet to what appeared to be a wood floor.

 

With furrowed brows, he leaned back and reached out to slide the suitcase a few inches over before peering back inside.

 

Same scene.

 

“Oh, fuck me,” he whispered, momentarily casting his eyes upward before rising and lowering one leg down onto the ladder.

 

And then the other.

 

And then, in a matter of seconds, he felt his feet touch solid ground.

 

If he wasn’t already confused as to the events of the past ten minutes, Leonard would have been rather freaked out to find himself now standing in what looked to be a small tool shed… _inside a suitcase?_

 

_What the hell is going on?_

 

There were various jars and plants, gardening tools and a wheelbarrow, buckets and dozens up dozens of other items  _that should_   _not be found in a suitcase_.

 

“-ou need to calm down, Spock – Who are you!?”

 

Unfortunately, Leonard was so caught up in snooping around the odd room, he didn’t noticed the door swinging open until he heard the man’s shout.

 

Leonard stood frozen in place as he and the man – a tall blond with blue eyes and an unfamiliar, long-haired primate on his shoulder - exchanged bewildered looks.

 

_Dear, god…what did he just stumble into?_

 

* * *

 

_Oh shit! Oh shit! Oh Shit!_

 

Jim’s mind went blank as stared down the unexpected – and uninvited - visitor in his shed. The man’s hazel eyes flickered back and forth between Jim and Spock. The demiguise, as Jim briefly noticed, decided to stay visible - an unusual action for him.

 

“I – uh – McCoy. Leonard Mccoy. I live across the hall from you. I – I came over to find my watch,” the stranger said, a southern drawl coloring the words. But Jim’s eyes narrowed at  _Leonard’s_  claim.

 

“Why are you searching for your watch here?” His blood was starting to boil. “If this is one of MACUSA’s ploys to -”

 

“What the fuck is MACUSA?” Jim’s tone seemed to spark a fire in Leonard’s own blood. “My damn watch is missing and I’ve been finding stuff missing every since you moved in!”

 

“Are you calling me a thief!?” The fucking audacity of this guy! Breaks into a person’s apartment and then accuses them of stealing.

 

“Well my watch and change didn’t just walk out of my apartment!” Leonard snapped back.

 

“You mother-  _ooooh_ …” Jim trailed off as a sudden lightbulb went off in his mind.

 

In front of him, Leonard blinked in confusion. “What? What ’ _ooooh_ ’?’ What is it?”

 

“Scotty.”

 

“ _Scotty?”_

 

Jim winced, rubbing his hand over his face. “Scotty’s a niffler. He’s also a kleptomaniac.”

 

“So this… _Scotty_  stole my watch?!”

 

Internally, Jim sighed.

 

_This was going to be an interesting day._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Post-A/N: For those that read this and are like, “WTF is a demiguise and a niffler????’ A demiguise (what I made Spock) is a creature that not only have the ability to become invisible, but they also can have premonitions over events to come. In this I see Spock as the one to let Leonard in and who lead him to the suitcase and essentially played matchmaker. 
> 
> As for the niffler (that’s Scotty), they are small creatures that are basically kleptomaniacs of anything shiny and expensive. Whatever they find, they will tuck it into their little belly pouch (that’s magic and will hold a shit ton of stuff). 
> 
> So can there be some art of Magizoologist!Jim tickling Leonard’s watch out of Niffler!Scotty’s pouch as Leonard stands in the background just completely confuzzled over what he’s seeing?????


	23. Day #23 : Serial Killer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You know what they say about imitation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pre-A/N: Hooooooly shit I almost thought I wouldn’t get this one done. I had an exhausting weekend and to pair it with little sleep I was hoping I could get this done in time before I passed out. 
> 
> That being said, I dug into my hundreds of hours I’ve logged over the years watching Criminal Minds to write this. Originally I was going to write about sirens, but when I got to this day I just wasn’t feeling it. ‘Killers’ was on my list of potential stories, but it wasn’t until a few days ago that I got this idea. 
> 
> It’s…something?????
> 
> Warnings: swearing, a death happened, it’s dealing with a serial killer what do you expect from it?????

_**The Artist and the Flatterer** _ _**|| McKirk-Tober Day #** _ _**23** _

 

With a great fondness, Jim gently ran his fingers over the dark hair of the female before rising to gaze down upon his latest work.

 

God, he hoped Bones liked it.

 

The man – Jim just  _knew_  it was a man – was an artist with what he could do; clean cuts, cleaned of blood once it finished pumping, and a ring finger absent of it’s fleshy cage. The press reported that each victim displayed evidence of a talented surgeon’s hand.

 

 _Oh_ , how right they were.

 

Jim had studied the photographs for hours in an attempt to perfect Bones’ work and he picked apart every single detail the police released to make sure his message was clear.

 

The first one – obtained outside the shopping mall – he took his time with, ensuring that each slice of his blade was an exact copy of Bones’ cuts. With the three that followed, he was able to complete the job faster and faster before hauling them out and displaying them in the old grove.

 

Just like Bones.

 

For his fifth attempt, Jim had to admit that it was his best work yet. The brunette was easy to grab outside the gym; turns out – despite the constant warnings by the media – the women was easy enough to compel with his pretty face. After that, everything went exactly as planned – from the poison to the cutting.

 

It couldn’t have been any smoother.

 

_Snap!_

 

Turning in place, he scanned the neighboring trees as he tried to keep his face clear of his rising panic.

 

Maybe he’d been too quick in his assumption. He took great care in planning out every detail of these kills, and if somehow fucked everything up before he got a chance to meet Bones.

 

That thought alone had Jim’s frustration skyrocketing and he clenched his fists as his eyes continued to search the trees. He didn’t dare move. He wasn’t stupid. There was no way he wasn’t already seen by whoever was there with him.

 

The only option left was to wait them out and, well, he had his knife if it was needed.

 

Time seemed to drag by as he stood with baited breath…waiting…watching. Until -

 

Jim blinked as movement caught his attention.

 

An officer was what he expected, but the brunet man in blue flannel that stepped out from behind one of the old twisted trees…not so much.

 

As he watched the man slowly step towards him - gaze flickering between his eyes and the body laying behind him – Jim felt…unafraid. Each step forward, bringing the man’s gorgeous face into focus, had Jim’s tension easing. And as the man sidestepped around him to peer down at the body – standing close enough for Jim to be enveloped in the scent of a heady cologne – he felt a coil of pride settle in himself.

 

“So you’re the one.” The words came out in a drawl befitting of the area.

 

They had a spark of heat igniting in Jim’s lower belly and it got even stronger when hazel eyes were cast once more upon him.

 

Bones turned to face him and stepped closer; only stopping when there was only mere inches between them. “You’re the one upping my body count.”

 

Jim’s heart was hammering in his chest and it took all he had to not loose himself in Bones’ presence. Instead, he tipped his head slightly to the side. “Don’t you know what they say about imitation?”

 

Only the distant birds could be heard in the silence that then stretched between them. Then, slowly, a crooked smirk began to spread across Bones’ face and spared a glance down at the woman before refocusing on Jim, reaching out to tug him closer. “Oh, kid, you did a whole lot more for me than flatter my ego.”

 

Jim had Bones pulled into a rough kiss in seconds, his only warning being an overly smug grin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Post-A/N: So can anyone guess who the woman was? 
> 
> But, yup, I made them both killers. I don’t see ‘Bones’ actually being what the media and police would call Leonard, but instead what Jim felt to be more fitting.


	24. Day #24 : Black Cats

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jim and Leonard have a decision to make

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kittens are so fucking cute oh my god! With their little faces and those baby cries ♥♥♥♥♥
> 
> It upsets me a lot to know that this time of the year means that a lot of black cats get attacked by dickheads because of that superstition. It just shows how awful of a person you are if go off and attack a cat - or any animal for that matter. That’s always been something that’s bothered me. When people see a cat or even hear about one and they go on that ballistic rant about how they would kill it without any care that it’s someone’s pet or that it’s a living creature. Ugh, disgusting people. People are allowed to not like cats, but those rants are just disturbing 
> 
> If you have any black cats, please take precaution and make sure that they are protected and inside so creeps can’t get to them!!!
> 
> Warnings: cuteness and some sadness…but mostly cuteness

_**Difficult Decisions** _ _**|| McKirk-Tober Day #** _ _**24** _

 

He didn’t hear them until he’d reached the kitchen to grab something to drink. Faint, high-pitched cries that drew Leonard’s attention to the living room of their shared apartment.  

 

Leonard had thought it was weird when Jim didn’t offer a greeting – physical or verbal – when he’d gotten home. After being away for a week-long medical conference, he was expecting Jim to be all over him.

 

It all became clear to him when finally stepped inside their living room.

 

“Uh, Jim?”

 

At his name, Jim swiveled his head around to give Leonard a beaming smile, but he didn’t get up from where he sat cross-legged on the hardwood floor. “Bones! You’re back!” But Leonard didn’t keep his attention for long; the moment the small black body hit his knee, Jim looked away to scoop up the kitten and cradle it to his chest.

 

On one hand, the sight of Jim cooing and gazing down affectionately at the kitten was adorable.

 

On the other hand, the area surrounding Jim was causing a lot of concern to build inside Leonard.

 

Four little, pure black bodies staggered around a fuzzy, toy strewn blanket that Jim had laid down on the floor. One kitten was laying on it’s belly sniffing a bright green mouse toy. Two were rough-housing, tackling each other to the cushioned ground. And the final one was sitting in a low, pillow lined basket as it looked around the room.

 

Slowly, Leonard stepped closer to where Jim was sitting next to the blanket. “Uh, Jim, do you want to tell me what’s going on?”

 

The young captain didn’t look up. Instead, he placed a soft kiss on the head of the small purring creature. “I’m playing with our children Bones.”

 

Leonard blinked. “ _Children?_ ”

 

“Yeah!” Jim chirped, finally peering back up, but he held the kitten up next to his face. “They’re so cute! Just like us!”

 

_Oh, god…_

 

Planting one hand on his hip, Leonard’s other hand came up to briefly cover his mouth. “Uh, I wasn’t aware that we had ever discussed having pets.”

 

Jim got a little sheepish at that. “Well, yeah, but I found them alone in an alley a few days ago and -”

 

“And you just thought you’d keep them without telling me?” He cut him off. The comment earned him a look from Jim.

 

“Not right away. I took them to the vet for a check-up and to see what they could do. She said they were pretty healthy, but were only about five weeks old and would still need some milk.”

 

Leonard crossed his arms over his chest. “And did they not say anything about any shelters?”

 

Jim shifted on the floor. “They…did.”

 

“And?”

 

“And…some were…full…”

 

It wasn’t lost on him that Jim was refusing to make eye contact.

 

Leonard’s brow raised. “But not all?”

 

“…no.”

 

Leonard sighed. “You’d already gotten attached to them.” He glanced down to see that all four of them had ventured over to mill around and over his feet. One of them had begun chewing on his shoelace.

 

God damn it…they  _were_  cute.

 

_Too_  cute.

 

When he looked back at Jim, the blond was giving him his stupid puppy dog eyes.

 

That bastard.

 

Leonard never could resist the puppy dog eyes and he knew it. With an internal groan, he covered his face with his hands. “We can’t keep them, Jim. That’s six cats too many.”

 

When he dropped his hands, he found that Jim had tipped his head up in a quizzical manner. “Six? Bones, there’s only five here,” he said, taking one hand to gesture at the bunch.

 

“Yeah, five kittens, but mama makes six.” Furrowing his brows, Leonard glanced around the room. “Where is she anyways? Did she leave you in charge for some quiet time?”

 

Jim heaved a sigh, looking down at the fluffy ball cradled to his chest. “The mom was laying in the street about a block away from where I found them. I heard the cries when I passed by the alley…” He looked up then and Leonard’s heart just about broke from the expression in them. “I just couldn’t leave them, Bones.”

 

With another sigh, Leonard carefully lowered himself to sit on the floor, folding one leg and leaving the other extended out over the blanket. The kittens were on him immediately. When one got close enough, he scooped it up to hold it close to his chest. The kitten began to purr in an instant when he scratched behind it’s ear, it’s gold-flecked blue eyes slipped shut in pleasure. “Jim, we go back into space in a few more weeks. What are we supposed to do with them then?”

 

It was quiet then, except for the purring and occasional cries from the kittens, as the question hung heavily in the air.

 

“I guess we could ask around and see if anyone would be interested in adopting them,” Jim finally said, but Leonard could tell how much the idea of separating from the kittens bothered him. Shifting the kitten to his right hand, Leonard reached out with his free hand and gave Jim’s kneed a soft squeeze.

 

Jim gave him a sad smile in return.

 

☼

 

Six weeks later, after hours upon hours of campaigning, Jim and Leonard were stepping into the Captain’s quarters, the cries of five kitties greeting them from their sleek, black and silver carriers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Post-A/N: Did you know that the majority of kittens have blue eyes up until they are about 5-6 weeks old???? It’s at that point their natural color will begin to come it! 
> 
> For these beauties, I imagine them to have gold eyes as their adult color (which would start to change near the six week mark). As for names, I thought of there being three females and two males and all of them would have space related names. As for what those names would be…I don’t know. I also thought of one of the males being named Pike since I picture this being right before they ship out again after the Khan incident.
> 
> Oh! And for those wondering about my question in yesterday’s fic (about who the woman was), it was Joce. Jim picked her at random (she was brunette and pretty which followed the victim profile), but Leonard wasn’t too upset over it


	25. Day #25 : Demons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The cost of love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pre-A/N: Not gonna lie, I felt really sad as I wrote this. 
> 
> This veered off just a bit from the original plan I had for it, but I think it worked out alright. 
> 
> Just…not emotionally…
> 
> …sorry
> 
> Warnings: little angsty, allusions to death

_**True Love’s Kiss** _ _**|| McKirk-Tober Day #** _ _**25** _

 

Despite being only a foot away from his face as he kneeled in the road, the box he held blurred before his eyes from the alcohol he’d been consuming. Nevertheless, Leonard dropped the tin into the hole and scraped the gravel over top of it, concealing it from the world.

 

There.

 

Done.

 

With a grunt, Leonard pushed up off of the ground. A move he regretted as his head spun and his body swayed. Just when he thought he’d be going back down, he felt a hand grip his shoulder and he sucked in a breath. Even through the thick leather of his jacket, his skin seemed to burn under the weight of the hand. The hand soon drifted down around his waist and he found his arm being tossed over a set of broad shoulders. It was through this added assistance that Leonard was carted off to the side of the road and set down on a low stump.

 

Surprisingly displeased by the loss of contact, he tipped his head back to peer up at his savior and his jaw dropped.

 

In the warm, buttery lights of the bar across the road, the man before him glowed gold in the night with his blond hair and tanned skin. Even his black leather jacket and white t-shirt captured and showed off the yellow highlights.

 

It made his jewel-like blue eyes pop even more.

 

“Standing around in the middle of a road – You should be more careful; never know what could come along,” the man spoke with a grin, adding a twitch of his brows with the latter statement. While Leonard was still feeling the heat from before, the man’s words sent a chill down his spine.

 

“I – I didn’t think it would work that fast,” he mumbled.

 

In all honesty, he didn’t think it would work at. Fill a box with a bunch of odd shit and then bury it in the middle of a crossroad just to speak –  _make a deal_  with a  _demon_.

 

Only desperate men did ridiculous shit like that.

 

…Then again…Leonard  _was_  a desperate man. One who was spurred on by half a bottle of bourbon.

 

The guy’s grin turned crooked and his eyes flickered to black. “Well, I like to work fast. People tend to back out of deals when given too much time to think. Speaking of which,” the demon stepped forward, crouching down to kneel between Leonard’s spread legs. When his hands came two rest on the junctures between his thighs and his pelvis, Leonard swallowed hard. “What made you give me a call, Handsome?” The demon said, huskily and low.

 

Leonard found his head dipping forward, unable to resist the demon’s charm in his current state. “My daughter,” he whispered. When the demon just crept closer and tipped his head to the side, he continued, his eyes beginning to sting. “The was an accident…it was my fault…she doesn’t have much longer to li-ive.” Leonard’s voice broke and the tears finally came, spilling down his stubbly cheeks.

 

The demon barely hesitated in inching closer still, bringing his hands up to cradle Leonard’s face and using his thumbs wipe at the tears. “Shhhhh, it’s okay, Handsome,” he soothed. “So you want to make her better?”

 

Leonard sniffed and nodded. His lids had lowered, causing him to miss just how close the demon had gotten to his face until it’s warm breath ghosted over his lips. A shudder wracked his body at the sensation.

 

He didn’t want to think about how the demon’s presence was affecting his body.

 

“Are you familiar with the process of deals?”

 

He sniffed, shaking his head, signaling the demon to whisper the contract and how to ‘sign’ it. As he talked, Leonard’s head tipped forward more and more until their two foreheads were pressed together. By the time the demon had finished explaining, Leonard’s cheeks were completely soaked by his silent tears.  

 

A long, healthy life for Jo in exchange for all but the next ten years of his.

 

_I love you Jo…I’m sorry_ , was the last thing he thought before gripping the back of the demon’s head - his fingers sliding through the short, soft hairs - and pressing their lips roughly together, signing the contract.

 

That kiss was the last one Leonard granted to anyone for ten years.

 

For ten years, he watched his daughter heal and grow, all the while still feeling the residual burn of the demon’s lips on his.

 

A torturous reminder.

 

And it wasn’t until midnight struck, ten years to the day, that Leonard granted his final kiss to that same blue-eyed blond, his world tunneling down to heat and darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Post-A/N: Another brief nod to [@mccoymostly‘s heartwreching headcanon for Leonard](https://mccoymostly.tumblr.com/post/158462609762/okay-but-whats-your-joanna-hc). 
> 
> But I like to think that Jim keeps Leonard around as his companion once he claims his soul.


	26. Day #26 : Axeman

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Their stay at the cabin was a little more than what they bargained for

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pre-A/N: So I don’t know about anyone else, but the whole axeman killer theme is something that I feel gets brought up more during this time of the year. 
> 
> Originally I wanted to write this as a Bones crossover, but that didn’t work out for this…maybe something in the future???? With FBI Agent Kirk and Forensic Anthropologist McCoy????? That’s something to think about
> 
> Warnings: mentions of death

_**Moonlight Shadows** _ _**|| McKirk-Tober Day #** _ _**26** _

 

With a surprised grunt, Leonard found himself being tugged behind a large pile of stacked logs, but before he could yell, a hand covered his mouth and he was greeted to the face of his boyfriend.

 

A boyfriend who’s nose he was going to break if –  _once_  they got out of this situation.

 

Jim didn’t make a sound, merely held a finger up before his closed lips. Though, he didn’t have to speak. Leonard could tell exactly what he was thinking just by looking into his eyes. And those eyes - those brilliant blue eyes that he loved so much - were wide with fear and uncertainty.

 

It was a look he wasn’t sure he’d ever seen on Jim.

 

With a quick glance around, Leonard leaned closer in order to whisper, “Did we lose him?

 

In the moonlight, he saw Jim shrug, but heard him whisper, “I think so.”

 

_Great._

 

It was Jim’s idea to rent a cabin in the woods for a weekend away. An idea that Leonard was actually excited for. It was a nice location; not completely cut off from the world, but just enough that they could unwind from the hustle and bustle of the city.

 

It was not, however, part of the plan to hear a bunch of screams from a neighboring cabin on the first night of their stay.

 

Nor to investigate and witness a dude bury an ax in the torso of another dude.

 

Nor to scream, get seen by the killer, and end up as his next targets as they ran off while he gave chase.

 

“Okay, if you can keep watch, I’ll call for the police because I think I have service,” Jim said, pulling his phone from his pocket. Leonard leaned over briefly and his shoulders dropped in relief.

 

_They had service!_

 

As Jim dialed for help, Leonard picked his head back up to look around. While it was dark under the cover of the woods, the moonlight shown through just enough to grant a field of vision of about twenty feet. The twenty feet that he could see now revealed nothing but trees and bushes.

 

But it was as Leonard refocused back on himself and Jim that he promptly froze at sight of the shadow before them.

 

More specifically, the shadow of a head and shoulders under a long-handled ax.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Post-A/N: Two against one, I feel like the odds are in their favor. 
> 
> But this did remind me of the [Buzzfeed Unsolved: True Crime episode, The Terrifying Axeman of New Orleans](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrMGIqecu0Y). Ah DAMN! I could have used this opportunity to use the phrase “Jazz it”. FUck. But the episode is really interesting (and funny) so I suggest checking it out.
> 
> Fucking Razor Boy jfc


	27. Day #27 : Vampires

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A challenger appears

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pre-A/N: So, how many were getting nervous as each day passed and the theme ‘vampire’ wasn’t getting used??? This was pretty much the second theme that I came up with to use and my random draw decided it would be one of the last to be written and posted. 
> 
> But who’s ready for Vamp!Jim and Vamp!Leonard?????? ;D
> 
> Warnings: brief mention of dead bodies and then there’s a dry humping/make-out scene

_**Intoxicating** _ _**|| McKirk-Tober Day #** _ _**2** _ _**7** _

 

Staring down at the dead female, Leonard frowned before reaching out to tip her peaceful face to the side. At the sight of the bite mark, he finally let out his snarl before turning away.

 

This was the fifth drained body in two weeks that had shown up in the Atlanta region -  _his_  region.

 

And he was  _livid_.

 

It was apart of their unofficial series of laws – no vampire sticks around in another vamp’s territory without first gaining permission to do so. To loiter without permission was considered a challenge for the territory.

 

Leonard had had control over this territory for nearly two-hundred years after ‘inheriting’ it from the former vamp who claimed it.

 

His sire never stood a change against a newly changed vampire hellbent on revenge.

 

Clenching his fist, he marched his way out of the dark alley and around the corner.

 

He knew exactly which vamp did this.

 

Holding back a growl, Leonard inhaled deeply, honing in on the scent he’d become so accustomed to.

 

He first smelled it three weeks ago. Leonard had decided to stop off at a small dive bar on the outskirts of the city for a nightcap. The place was cheap and old and it drew in young clientele like flies to honey. Normally, he could smell the tang of booze and the sweetness of blood from a block away, but that night was different.

 

The smell was different.

 

The closer he got the more Leonard’s head swam and his skin tingled. Instead of going inside, he’d had to duck into the alley next to the building where he’d collapsed against the wall and gasped at the overpowering scent as a cacophony of emotions bombarded him.

 

Leonard inhaled again, turning the corner and darting across the street.

 

This scent - It evoked a  _need_  in him; one that he couldn’t quite decipher. He just knew that even after he removed himself from the scent, it lingered in his mind. Drove him crazy. At first, he thought he really was going crazy, but after a week he realized the scent actually was everywhere.

 

And then one day he tracked it to a hidden spot behind the mall.

 

He saw the body before he noticed the sweetness of blood mingling with the bright scent.

 

And the bite mark made him realize he was scenting another vampire.

 

A vampire that Leonard actually had yet to see, but had been taunting him for two weeks.

 

Tonight was the night, though.

 

He just knew it.

 

Tonight he would finally kill the bastard that was stinking up his territory.

 

He kept on the trail, moving quickly and silently through the near empty streets of the city. It clouded his senses, the scent growing stronger with each step he took. It was only when his shoulder scraped against the rough brick did he realize he’d begun to stagger like a college student at closing time on a dollar shot night. With a groan he shoved away from the wall, but the impact managed to clear some of the fog that overtaken his mind. That jarring strike was what had him realizing that he’d been lead right back to the old dive bar.

 

Normally the sounds of exuberant shouts and smell of pulsing blood would have had Leonard dropping in for a quick snack. Tonight, however, the bar was hardly tempting. Following his nose, he ducked into the neighboring alley.

 

Here was where the scent was the most concentrated.

 

Here was where his eyes landed on the dark figure relaxed against the wall near the back of the alley.

 

Straightening his posture, Leonard slowly strutted towards the shadowy vamp. “Let me do the honors of introducing myself. I’m McCoy. Leonard McCoy. I watch over the city,” he drawled. When he was about ten feet from the vamp, he stopped. “Now get the fuck out of my town.”

 

“Now, now, Leonard. Is that  _really_  what you want?” The guy purred and pushed away from the wall, stepping into a patch of light. Leonard had to clench his fists and jaw as the vamp was finally revealed to him. “The name’s, Jim. Jim Kirk.”

 

Leather jacket, white t-shirt, dark jeans, and dark boots blended fairly well into their shadowy meeting spot. His blond hair, just long enough to flop into bright blue eyes, tinged with gold…not so much. Jim embodied too much of the day for a creature of the night. With his pretty face, it wouldn’t have been hard for the guy to lure in the humans.

 

He was also a fledgling, if Leonard had to guess. Not quite a newly-turned one, but Jim definitely wasn’t a vamp for more than a decade or two. The young ones were always the ones stupid enough to fight for a territory on their own.

 

And Jim was  _clearly_  attempting to lull Leonard into a false sense of security with his… _flirtatious_  aura; hips canted out, showing just how tight his jeans were; head slightly tipped, displaying his smooth, mark-less neck; plush lips, parted in a coy grin and showcasing his sharp fangs.

 

Leonard took in a steadying breath, gritting his teeth at the vamp’s intoxicating scent. “Yes. Now go.”

 

Jim merely raised a brow in amusement and sauntered closer. Leonard held his stance, thus allowing for the blond to stop inches away. “Guess you’re not much of a chaser, huh?”

 

At the comment, Leonard felt his eye twitch. “The hell are you talking about?” His nostril’s flared as he scented the young vamp once more.

 

Woodsy. Touch of citrus. Sharp tang of metal.

 

Residual blood of the dead woman.

 

Jim’s face took on a more quizzical expression. “Do you really not know?”

 

“Know what.” The words were short and clipped and Leonard was having a difficult time focusing on Jim as a whole and not certain aspects of him.

 

“You can smell me, can’t you?” He inched closer as he talked. “It’s intoxicating, isn’t it?” It wasn’t until his back hit the rough brick of the bar followed by the firm press of Jim’s chest against his own, that Leonard realized he’d allowed the fledgling to guide him backwards. “When I first picked up your scent, I wanted nothing more than to track you down and fuck you for hours on end.” He enunciated his statement with a tortuously slow roll of his hips and Leonard had to bite back a moan. When his head dropped back, Jim stole the opportunity to bury his nose into Leonard’s exposed neck. “God, you smell amazing,” he groaned, pressing body harder against Leonard.

 

As he felt the tongue lick a smooth line up his neck, Leonard finally released the moan he’d been attempting to hold in. His hips snapped forward to grind against Jim’s clothed erection, desperate for friction and relief.

 

_God, it’s been so long.  When was the last time he’d -_

 

_Wait…_

 

_No!_

 

“Why the fuck,” he gasped as Jim ground their hips together and nipped at his earlobe.

 

He was supposed to be killing this bastard. Not dry humping him in a dark alley outside a busy bar like some horny teenager.

 

“Don’t tell me you aren’t familiar with the concept of mates,” Jim growled next to his ear and Leonard’s mind stuttered as hands began to wander under his shirt.

 

_God…_

 

_What even…_

 

_Ooohh…_

 

“Fuck,” Leonard swore before lifting his hand to grip the back of Jim’s head and maneuvering it enough to smash their lips together, the sound of clicking teeth joining their moans, groans and pants.

 

He’d reigned over Atlanta just fine for nearly two-hundred years, but maybe the next two-hundred would be easier with a partner by his side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Post-A/N: I love vampire!aus omg! Really, I love a lot of different AUs, but fantasy and supernatural ones rank up there among my faves ♥
> 
> But Jim being a goddamn tease. Leonard’s got his hands full with this one
> 
> not that he’s complaining ;)


	28. Day #28 : Haunted House

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leonard really shouldn’t be surprised

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Three. More. Days. Can you believe that there are only three more days of McKirk-Tober left??!!???!? Because I can’t!   
> The end is so close I can taste it!!!!
> 
> After this month is over I am going on a writing hiatus of a few days. I might plot things during this time, but I highly doubt I will be writing too much. I will also use that time to catch up on reading fics and compiling the FicRec Friday that I neglected to do the past two weeks :p
> 
> Meanwhile this fic features our two faves as haunted house volunteers!

_**Cream of the Crop** _ _**|| McKirk-Tober Day #** _ _**28** _

 

The final group of freaked out teenagers had just barely left Lenard’s ’ _Mad Doctor Exam Room’_  when his ear piece crackled to life with Pike’s voice.

 

“Hey, McCoy, we need you out here to check up on one of the actors; one of the chainsaw guys kissed the dirt just a little bit ago and he’s a little scraped up.”

 

Activating the small microphone on his cuff, he replied, “I’ll be there in a few; the last reported group just passed through my section here. Unless another group showed up that I wasn’t made aware of?”

 

“Nope,” Pike answered. “No more groups came. Just get out here; the kid is harping at us to let him get back to the maze.” Leonard didn’t have to see the older man to know that he was rolling his eyes at the actor’s antics.

 

At least that meant nothing too serious had happened to the guy.

 

With a final confirmation, Leonard darted out the door and took the various short-cuts to get out of the building. After working the past four years at the haunted house, he’d come to know the secret passage ways fairly well. Stepping out into the chilly night, he double checked through the com where he needed to be before striding off to the small building that was set aside specifically for the crew.

 

When he got to his patient, he realized he really should have expected this.

 

“Hey, Bones!” Jim chirped. He sat in one of the folding chairs, his tattered coveralls featuring more dirt than fake blood, while his chain-less chainsaw sat on a table nearby. Most of all, though, his face – that previously only had fake blood and some makeup – was now far dirtier and covered in scrapes.

 

“Jesus, Jim! What the hell did you do?” He retrieved the first aid kit from a side table before dragging a chair over in front of Jim.

 

“Was just trying to find a way to get those lovely hands on me,” he said with grin.

 

Putting on gloves, Leonard sent him an unimpressed look and ignored the snorts from the others around them. Jim Kirk was one of the more recent additions to the crew, but he made sure to flirt with Leonard every single time they had to work.

 

“That doesn’t answer my question,” he intoned before setting about cleaning Jim’s face. Leonard’s heart twinged when he saw the blond wince at the action, but he kept his face composed.

 

“Fine…I tripped while chasing a college frat boy.”

 

It was Leonard’s turn to snort, the movement pushing the cotton ball in his hand harder into the scrape along Jim’s small nose. “Isn’t that the story of your whole college experience.”

 

“Ha, ha, Bones. Very funny,” Jim said dryly, but the smile on his lips and the glimmer in his eye alerted Leonard that he was more amused than what he implied. “I’ll have you know that I didn’t waste my time with the low-rung frat boy. No sir, I went for the cream of the crop.”

 

With a quirk of his brow, Leonard moved onto applying salve to the newly-cleaned scrapes. “Uh-huh, and what pray-tell is the cream of the crop for Jim Kirk.”

 

“Gorgeous, brunet, divorced doctor from Georgia.”

 

Leonard paused, fingers resting against Jim’s cheek, and stared at the smirking blond.

 

_Well he walked right into that one._

 

“Kid, we didn’t even go to college together.”

 

Jim just shrugged. “Semantics.”

 

Heaving out a sigh, Leonard straightened in his seat and removed the gloves, grabbing new ones to put on. “Fine. I’ll go to coffee with you. Just coffee!” He sternly pointed his finger at the now giddy blond and ignored the flip-flop his heart just preformed.

 

He was stepping into something.

 

Something he wasn’t sure he would be able to step out of…or would want to.

 

“You know I’m just going to pester you for more dates.”

 

_Yeah_ , Leonard thought as he moved on to checking Jim’s hands, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth, _he certainly didn’t doubt that_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Post-A/N: So if you finished this and thought ‘Oh man! I would love to read more haunted house fics!’ I highly suggest checking out [@randomlittleimp‘s McKirk fic To the Bone](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11632524/chapters/26160588)!


	29. Day #29 : Doppelganger

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Can a person be two places at once?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pre-A/N: Two. More. Days. *screams*
> 
> Oh, thank you thank you thank you to everyone who has been keeping up with these! You guys have been keeping me sane though this journey ♥

**_Mimicry || McKirk-Tober Day #29_ **

 

With a grunt, Jim dropped the cardboard box to the floor and repressed a sigh as it tipped over and dumped out the clothes packed inside.

 

Day two of unpacking and he understood why people always do those moving ‘parties’.

 

Only day two and he and Bones were barely halfway unpacked (The idea of christening their new home had been far more appealing than unpacking.), he was exhausted, and his muscles and back were sore as fuck.

 

_The house has a tub…maybe he could convince Bones to a little 'spa’ time._

 

Shaking his head to clear the thought, he bent down to scoop up the clothes and move them closer to the closet. Then, after locating and collecting their hangers, Jim set to work placing each top on the wood bar running the length of the closet.

 

His clothes on the right and Bones’ clothes on the left.

 

He allowed himself to get lost in the repetitive motions and the clicks of the hangers. Dress shirt. T-shirt. Sweater. Scrubs. Polo. One after another, Jim made his way through the box of clothes. He only had about five more of Bones’ dress shirts when he finally registered the presence in the doorway.

 

“Enjoying the view?” He quirked an eyebrow at his boyfriend. Bones didn’t comment, simply kept leaning against the doorframe, eyes watching him with a burning intensity. Jim’s shoulders twitched under the gaze.

 

An odd knot formed in his gut.

 

Glancing away, Jim swiped up a denim button-down and slipped it on a hanger before hanging it up. “You know, I could be persuaded to - Bones?”

 

He blinked as he stared at the now empty doorway.  **That’s odd.** “Bones?” He called again. When there was no answer, Jim returned to his current task, but the furrow in his brow didn’t leave for several minutes..

 

After a few shirts, Jim was able to fall back into his zone. When he was working on sorting their shoes, the sound of footsteps coming up the stairs pulled his attention back into the present. He looked up just in time to see Bones pop his head into the room. “Hey, pizza’s here.”

 

Standing up, Jim moved to place a light peck on Bones’ lips and it didn’t take too long for it to turn into a deep, languid kiss. Pulling away, Jim murmured, “Maybe I changed my mind on what I want to eat.”

 

He felt Bones shudder at his words, saw his eyes darkening, but instead he said, “Real food first, kid.”

 

“Pizza can be reheated,” he quipped in return.

 

“Yeah, but it’s hardly the same as when it’s fresh,” Bones said with a tone of finality. Lifting his hands from Jim’s hips, he pressed them against his shoulders to push him back a step. “Come on, I found the plates. The  _real_ plates.” He then grabbed Jim’s hand and started to lead him downstairs. Halfway down the staircase, however, he stopped, turned, and peered up at Jim with a curious look. “Oh, what did you want earlier?”

 

Jim raised a brow in question. “Because I wanted to know why you came up and creeped on me before disappearing back downstairs.” He was only extremely confused when Bones still stared at him incredulously.

 

“Jim, I never came upstairs. You were the one that stood and creeped on my in the kitchen a little bit ago.”

 

“I never came downstairs…” Jim’s voice got quieter as he spoke and Bones’ eyes widened.

 

He didn’t have to ask to know that he wasn’t the only one to have a chill race up his spine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Post-A/N: Doppelgangers. Let’s see how well I can explain this. 
> 
> Doppelgangers are a double/look-alike of a living person and the paranormal belief is that it is of the ghostly variety. They’re also believed to be omens of bad luck. In some tales it’s warned to never come face to face with your own doppelganger for it could mean death.


	30. Day #30 : Angels

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Step right up! Step right up! Come see the wonder that is The Angel!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late update today!! Lost track of time and forgot to add it here :p
> 
> But one more day!!!!!!!!!! Oh this is insane!!! Thank you everyone who has liked and commented on this! I love all of you so much and I loved reading your thoughts on all of the fics! 
> 
> As for notes on this fic, I have written several McKirk-Tober fics that have made me want to write continuations for them…this is another one of those.

**_The Angel || McKirk-Tober Day #30_ **

 

_This is stupid. This is stupid. This is stupid._

 

The thought circled through Leonard’s mind like a broken record as he crept through the godforsaken circus. 

 

Actually, circus was probably a bad name for it. 

 

A circus, a  _real_ circus, would have rules and guidelines - just  _some_ sort of moral regulations!

 

At the sound of footsteps, Leonard ducked behind a cotton candy cart and held his breath. When they faded away, he slowly slipped out and jogged to a large blue trash can, his backpack thumping softly against his back. 

 

Then small-ish tent. 

 

Then another trash can. 

 

Finally, the large blue tent near the very back came into view. The mere sight of it kicked up his adrenaline and sent a tremor through his hands. Clenching them, Leonard took a deep breath, watching and waiting for his moment. 

 

_This is stupid…Dammit!_

 

Gathering up his nerve, he rose and sprinted for the tent, slipping inside, plunging his world into darkness. Leonard allowed himself only a few seconds to catch his breath before swinging his backpack off, zipping it open, and digging around for his flashlight. Feeling the cool aluminum, he pulled it out and clicked it on. 

 

It didn’t take long before the beam of light settled on the welded gold bars. With careful steps, Leonard closed in on the large cage, dropping the light lower with each step. When he was finally inches from the thick bars, his light came to rest on the feathery mass settled in the center of the cage’s pillow-strewn floor. 

 

Seconds later, the mass began to move. 

 

Hours earlier, when he had stood here with Geoff and Christine, the sight of what the  _“circus”_ called _The Angel_  had taken his breath away. 

 

During the day the tent is alight with an air of wonder. With a carpet of emerald green grass, the golden cage - an over-sized bird cage - popped from where it sat in he exact center of the tent. It held every viewer’s attention. Being the only cage in the tent helped as well. Stepping closer, peering past the thick crowd of people surrounding it, would bring him into sight. 

 

_The Angel_. 

 

A golden man of exceptional beauty, clad in sheer, artfully draped fabric who lounged around on a bed of squishy pillows, completely ignoring all who gaze upon him. 

 

His looks alone would have captured Leonard’s attention, but the most intriguing detail were the two giant wings that sprouted from his shoulders. They would twitch and shift at his will and Leonard had been aching to feel how soft the white feathers were beneath his fingers.   

 

This moment, was no less stunning. 

 

One great, white wing lifted from where it was concealing The Angel’s body from Leonard’s eyes. It was, perhaps, the only thing that allowed him even a single shred of modesty. Now exposed to Leonard, he could see the thin white material that acted as a sort of toga - a  _very_ short toga - didn’t actually cover much of his hips. Hastily averting his eyes, they quickly trailed over a partially exposed chiseled torso, bare arms corded in lean muscle, and - finally - a handsome face with brilliant blue eyes. 

 

Blue eyes watching him in disbelief. 

 

_Déjà vu._

 

Leonard had stepped past his two colleagues, elbowing through the crowd to get a better glimpse of The Angel. They all had placed bets on what it truly could be - creative taxidermy or an insanely large bird - and all the breath had left his lungs at the truth displayed before him. 

 

He wasn’t sure how - he wasn’t sure why - but The Angel had lifted his head just then and locked eyed with Leonard. And Leonard had found that he couldn’t move. Like sapphire gems, they gleamed in the light filtering down from the tent’s open flaps above, but what’s more was the depth of emotion they held. 

 

Emotion that Leonard had  _felt_. 

 

“Hey, it’s okay,” he whispered, dropping his backpack on the ground next to the cage door. “I’m here to get you out.”

 

From the whispers of the crowd around him, it had been the first time that The Angel had acknowledged his spectators.

 

Leonard had taken that as a sign. 

 

Pulling his pair of bolt cutters from the backpack, he stood and was surprised to see just how close The Angel had gotten to the door. If Leonard wanted to, he could easily reach through the bars and place his hand on the guy’s toned chest. 

 

Not that…not that he wanted to…

 

Shaking his head, he raised the cutters to the padlock. He’d gotten a good look at it earlier and, if he was right, the bolt cutters would be enough to break it.

 

_God dammit. He was a doctor, not a heistman._

 

He sparred a glance at The Angel and found his mouth going dry. He just stood there, feet away, wings arched behind him, starring at Leonard with  _so much_  anticipation. 

 

He cleared his throat before focusing back down on the lock. With one final deep breath, he flexed his muscles and closed the cutters. 

 

_Snap!_

 

The lock thumped to the ground, useless, and then Leonard was reaching out and tugging the door open, removing the final barrier between captivity and freedom. 

 

And there was The Angel, his eyes boring into Leonard’s own, stepping out of his cage and -

 

_Hugging him?_

 

He let out a surprised grunt as his feet were lifted from the ground in a big bear hug, The Angel’s wings coming around to cocoon them in a soft, protected shield. 

 

Leonard’s mind went blank.

 

He’s big enough to admit it - he’s a guy who takes pride in his strength and all that.

 

But this - being hoisted up like he was nothing and feeling safe and sound all wrapped up in these great wings - was  _definitely_ doing something for him. This -

 

“Thank you.”

 

His breath hitched as the murmured words floated through the silence of the tent. 

 

Sure, he knew that The Angel was pretty much human, but the thought that he could speak had sort of…slipped his mind. And to hear such a low, raspy voice directed at him…

 

Leonard gulped. “Not a problem,” he whispered. He would have given him an awkward pat on the shoulder, but he couldn’t quite move his arms at the moment. 

 

The Angel seemed to realize that and moved to gently place him back on the ground. He did not, however, move too far way from his rescuer. Simply encroached on his space, staring deep into his eyes. 

 

“I - uh - I have a pair of - of shorts in the bag…for you.” It was a struggle, but the words were finally forced from his mouth. 

 

The Angel blinked, tilting his head in a way that was damn near adorable. “Just shorts?”

 

“I didn’t know how to work around your wings,” Leonard said with a cringe. 

 

But The Angel didn’t seem to mind. In fact he granted Leonard with a smile that had his whole body warming. 

 

_God damn…_

 

“Thank you…” The Angel trailed off and it took Leonard several seconds to kick his mind back into gear.

 

“McCoy. Leonard McCoy.”

 

The Angel looked amused over his response and it had Leonard questioning just what was going through that pretty head of his. It also had him thinking of something else. Something that The Angel answered seconds later.

 

“Jim. Jim Kirk.”

 

Leonard smirked. “Well, Jim, maybe you should get your shorts on and we can get the hell out of here.”

 

Jim smirked in return. “Now that sounds like a perfect plan.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Post-A/N: I had other ideas for this theme, but when it came time to write them they just didn’t appeal to me. This one just popped into my mind on the spot…and then I ran into the issue of where to end it :p
> 
> Tomorrow, if anyone is interested, I will be answering McKirk-Tober questions over on my tumblr!


	31. Day #31 : Halloween

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jo shows off her costume

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pre-A/N: It’s over???? And I’m still alive?????? 
> 
> Omg I am both sad that it’s over and ecstatic that it’s over! This was insane and fun and so very very stressful! And I thank every one of you who decided to check out and follow along throughout the month! You guys kept me going and for that I am eternally grateful!
> 
> Thank you!!! ♥♥♥♥
> 
> And I posted about it yesterday, but if there were any questions you had either about the series or about certain fics in general I will be welcoming asks over on my tumblr :) I didn’t really respond to questions asked throughout the month on the various fics and this is my way of apologizing for that ♥
> 
> Tomorrow will probably start my time of replying to comments here :)
> 
> Warnings: brief swear, cuteness

**_Lucky || McKirk-Tober Day #31_ **

 

“I love how Taco Bell was like  _‘Hey, what do we do with all of our chicken triangles from our failed chicken nacho chip venture?’_ and someone at the TBHQ was like _'Throw them in a fucking quesadilla!_ '” 

 

Leonard rolled his eyes at his boyfriend’s comments coming from the other room as he pulled the pies from the hot oven. One pumpkin and one apple and both based on his mother’s recipes. “Language, Jim!” He scolded, slipping off his oven mitts. At the sound of footsteps coming towards the kitchen, he moved to lean up against counter, looking up just in time to see Jim walk through the doorway.

 

The blond sauntered closer with an amused smirk, coming to a stop right next to him. “You weren’t complaining about my language last night, Bones,” he purred. 

 

Leonard leveled a look at him, not giving into the bait. “Stop swearing in front of my daughter.” 

 

“She’s in the guest room getting ready; she’s not paying any attention to if I’m swearing,” Jim replied with a shrug. “She probably didn’t even hear me.”

 

“You said the F-word, Uncle Jim.”

 

The sound of the little girl’s voice had both men focusing on the doorway and, after starring in disbelief at his daughter for several seconds, Leonard turned to give Jim a withering glare.

 

Jim just sent him a smug smile, the bastard. 

 

“ _Jim_ …” When he gave Jim permission to assist Jo with her costume this year, this was  _not_ what he meant. 

 

“Don’t be mad at him, Daddy. It was my idea,” Jo pipped up, stepping forward. The heels of her boots emitted a soft thump as she walked and the silver Captain’s pin over her hear gleamed under the kitchen lights. 

 

It was a perfect miniature of Jim’s captain uniform. 

 

He gave her a confused look. “Weren’t you talking about wanting to dress up as that classical book character last week?”

 

“Hermione Granger and, yeah, I  _was_ planning on dressing up as her…” She trailed off, fidgeting with the cuffs of her sleeves.

 

There was a  _‘but’_  there and Leonard crossed his arms over his chest to wait her out. 

 

“ _But_ ,” she sighed, “Uncle Jim was telling all those cool stories about your adventures in space and - well - I want to have adventures like that when I grow up.” Jo then peered up at him, eyes going full-on puppy dog. “Just like you two.”

 

And there it was. 

 

She played the  _‘Just like you’_  card.

 

The final nail in the coffin that told Leonard that there was no way he could ever dissuade her from this decision. 

 

Leonard’s heart picked up. His daughter, his  _only_ daughter, wanted to go off into the dark expanse of space where danger lurked  _everywhere_. 

 

He spared a glance at Jim and soon found all of his anxiety melting away.

 

He’d seen a proud Jim before, but never like this. Never that proudness that comes when a parent witnesses their child do something profound.

 

Leonard let out a sigh.

 

_At least he still had several years to mentally and emotionally prepare himself before she would be able to apply to the Academy._

 

“We will discuss your decision later,” he said, pointing at her. “But right now we -” he gestured between Jim and himself “- need to get ready to take you out tonight.” 

 

Jo’s grin told him that she knew she had him on her side. So, with a bright ‘Okay!’ she darted out of the kitchen, presumably to watch whatever classic film Jim had playing in the living room. 

 

Once he was sure she wasn’t going to come back in, Leonard turned to face his beaming boyfriend. Reaching out, he settled a hand on the back of Jim’s neck and tugged him forward to bring their mouths together in a brief, but heady kiss.

 

“You’re lucky you’re cute and I love you,” he muttered once the kiss was broken.  

 

Jim leaned in quick to brush their lips together once more. “I know,” he smirked, knowing full well that he was going to pay for his meddling later that night once Jo had crashed from her sugar high. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Post-A/N: So what would Jim and Leonard dress up as???? Would they do the couples costume thing??? Two unrelated costumes???

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and kudos are much appreciated!!
> 
> ☼
> 
> You can find me on [tumblr](http://goingknowherewastaken.tumblr.com/)!


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